Follow along for today’s opening ceremonies and festivities with the start of the 75th General Assembly’s 2025 session. This is coverage from the state Senate.

12:40 p.m.

And with that, the speeches are over and the first 10 bills introduced. The Democrats’ top priority bill, SB 101, is from Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver and focuses on the Voting Rights Act.

12:00 p.m.

Next up: speeches from the President and Minority Leader.

11:45 a.m.

The House Committee of Reps. Elisabeth Velasco, Lindsey Gilchrist, and Jarvis Caldwell have come to the upper chamber to let the Senate know they’re ready for business. Velasco stumbled, stating, “It’s a pleasure to serve with you,” which earned her an immediate rebuke from Senate President Coleman. “We don’t do that kind of thing around here,” he joked.

Sens. Cathy Kipp, Marc Catlin and Jeff Bridges traveled to the lower chamber to advise them of the same. Catlin more or less got away with saying the same thing as Velasco but said he’s completed the transition after serving eight years in the House.

“We were much less kind to the House with our remarks,” Bridges said. “They are not organized and now you know, can’t trust anything from the House.”

The governor’s committee also had a report. Sen. Byron Pelton reminded the governor, where rural Colorado generates a lot of economic activity, that “we need our roads fixed!”

11:23 a.m. 

For the first time in six years, the Senate has a new secretary: Esther van Mourik, who was elected unanimously. Her son wiped tears out of his eyes as she took the oath of office. A committee of Sens. Byron Pelton, Judy Amabile, and Marc Snyder has gone to the governor’s office to notify him they’re ready for business.

11:15 a.m.

Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez of Denver has nominated Sen. James Coleman of Denver for President of the state Senate. The nomination was seconded by Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen of Monument, and the vote was unanimous. “You’re in for quite a wild ride,” said outgoing Senate President Steve Fenberg to Coleman as he handed over the gavel.

11:10 a.m. 

There’s something you don’t see often: a senator who just won re-election missing roll call. Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Centennial, was marked as excused. It took a few minutes, but he was “escorted” back to the chamber by a couple of fellow senators, to applause and some gentle kidding. 

11:05 a.m. 

After the roll call of the new senators, the next step is the election of the Senate President. President-elect James Coleman of Denver is the nominee of the Senate Democrats, but that must be confirmed by the full Senate.

The three senators appointed by vacancy committees in the last four days (Republican John Carson and Democrats Iman Jodeh and Matthew Ball) will be sworn in on Friday. That’s because it takes a few days for the paperwork from the vacancy committees to the Secretary of State, who must certify those results.

10:45 a.m. 

Chief Justice Monica Marquez has arrived to administer the oath of office to the new senators.

Chairman Manuel Hart of the Ute Mountain Ute tribe also greeted lawmakers and guests.

The senators’ children and grandchildren led the Pledge of Allegiance, including one tiny little girl who kept looking at Fenberg when everyone else left the podium (that would be his 2-year-old daughter, Marlow).

The chamber greeted several former presidents: Kevin Grantham (2017-18), Morgan Carroll (2013-15) and Peter Groff (2007-09). Also in attendance: former Sen. Penfield Tate of Denver and outgoing Republican Sen. Bob Gardner, who was admonished (jokingly) to keep quiet by Senate President Steve Fenberg, and who added that Gardner was updating his resume and looking for a legislative aide job.

While singers performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” dancers from the Cleo Parker Robinson company did an interpretive dance on the Senate floor.

In the state Senate, Tony Exum, Jr., the son of Sen. Tony Exum, Sr. and a renowned musician, played the National Anthem on a soprano saxophone, with some in the audience softly singing in the background.