Colorado lawmakers from both parties are pledging to save Coloradans money, but they they are taking markedly different approaches to legislation, whether by eliminating fines they deem unnecessary or regulating practices they believe exploit working-class families. 

That philosophical divide is palpable in the measures they have introduced so far.  

Democrats are setting their sights on major corporations, which they say have taken advantage of inflation to boost profits while working families bear the brunt. They’re banking on a pair of recent lawsuits against the nation’s largest property management companies to drum up support for proposal they say will save Coloradans more than $1,500 a year.

Republicans, on the other hand, have repeatedly referred to the state’s high number of regulations, the sixth-most in the country, as the problem. They’ve drafted several bills aimed at rolling back those regulations and repealing certain fees, which they say will save Coloradans thousands of dollars a year.

Democrats crack down on “junk” fees, rent algorithms, price gouging

At a press conference about a trio of bills they say will save the average Colorado family up to $1,600 annually, House and Senate Democrats criticized wealthy corporations, arguing the latter prioritize profits over people. 

“While these companies continue to bring in record profits, as lawmakers, we have a duty to save our constituents money, and we cannot do that effectively unless we take on these greedy corporations who are openly bragging about lining their pockets with record profits while regular people are struggling to get by,” said Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver.

Mabrey, along with Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver and Sens. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Nick Hinrichsen, D-Pueblo, is sponsoring House Bill 1004, which prohibits landlords from rent-setting algorithmic software to collude on pricing. The bill is a revival of a similar measure that passed through the House last session, but disagreements between the two chambers regarding amendments caused it to die on the Senate floor. 

Sponsors are confident the bill will succeed this year, bolstered by a recent lawsuit from the U.S. Justice Department against six of the country’s largest property management companies. The lawsuit accuses the companies of participating in an illegal scheme using algorithms to decrease competition and drive up rent prices. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined nine other state attorneys general as plaintiffs on the case. 

Violation of the bill would be punishable under the Colorado State Antitrust Act of 2023, with a maximum penalty of $250,000 to $1 million. 

“Today is a new day,” said Gonzales when asked what makes this year’s efforts to pass the bill any different than last year. “We’ve got a new General Assembly, we’ve got a new Senate, and we are ready to do this work to ban this collusion.”

Gonzales cited a Biden Administration report that claimed renters in Denver are being charged an additional $70 a month due to algorithmic rent software. She expressed hope that the bill would gain the support of her colleagues across the aisle, as she believes the issue is bipartisan. 

“Given the White House report’s clarity detailing exactly how much these algorithms are costing renters here in Colorado and here in the Denver Metro area, I think the choice is clear,” she said. “These policies should not be controversial. If Colorado Republicans are actually interested in saving Coloradans money, they’d join and vote ‘yes’ on these packages of bills because saving Coloradans money should not be a partisan issue.”

House Bill 1090, takes aim at so-called “junk fees” imposed by landlords, requiring them to disclose any additional charges upfront. Backers said these fees are often buried in bills or hidden until checkout or signing a lease and can cover anything from pest control and valet trash services to vague “convenience fees”. 

“For some, these surprise changes are frustrating,” said Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Littleton. “For others, they can mean the difference between making rent and putting food on the table. These hidden charges don’t just hurt individual consumers, they undermine trust and prevent a fair, competitive marketplace where people can compare prices and make informed decisions.”

The issue has also sparked legal action.

Colorado and the Federal Trade Commission have filed a lawsuit against the nation’s largest landlord for failing to disclose mandatory fees that increased the true cost of rent by an additional $1,700 a year.  

“Colorado Democrats are committed to making our state more affordable, and this legislation is one of many steps we are taking to reduce costs for families and working people,” said sponsor Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. 

A third bill, House Bill 1010, updates state laws to prohibit “price gouging” of necessities at any time, not just during declared disasters as delineated in current law.

The bill defines necessities as “goods or services that are necessary for the health, safety, and welfare of consumers or of the general public.”

According to sponsor Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins, reports have shown that costs are increasing beyond what can be explained just by inflation and rising expenses. 

“Our families are struggling and these bad actors are exploiting their pain for profit,” she said. “That is unacceptable, and it is our job to hold them accountable.”

Republicans: Eliminating fees would save Coloradans $4,000 a year 

Republicans, meanwhile, are taking a different approach to improving affordability for Coloradans, one they say could save the average family $4,500 a year.

“This affordability crisis is no accident,” Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, R-Monument, said during a news conference last week, pointing to “misguided policies” adopted by Democrats at the state Capitol over the past five years. 

Republicans are looking to eliminate a number of fees imposed by the state over the past few years on everything from plastic bags to rental vehicles. 

Lundeen is spearheading an omnibus bill he says will save Coloradans nearly $3,000. The proposed legislation includes repealing a 2023 law requiring mediation for low-income residents facing eviction and setting up a process for homeowners to sue builders for defects in their homes, which is a reincarnation of a bill he sponsored last session that failed to pass through committee. 

Lundeen’s bill would also require the state to adopt more cost-effective energy codes, as he says the costs associated with complying with the International Conservation Code is costing Colorado homeowners an additional $328 a month.

A second bill, sponsored by Sen. Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, would repeal a number of the state’s recently-enacted fees, including the 27-cent retail delivery fee, 10-cent grocery bag fee, and monthly fees utility fees used to help pay for energy assistance programs for low-income families.  

“It may seem like these fees only make a few dollars difference in the grand scheme of things, but these pennies really do add up,” said Baisley. 

The bill also repeals the state’s cage-free egg requirement that went into effect at the beginning of this year. 

Sen. Scott Bright of Platteville is targeting transportation-related fees, with a bill to get rid of charges on gas and diesel fuel, short-term vehicle rentals, and waste tire fees. According to Bright, his bill will save Coloradans an average of $400 a year. 

Janice Rich of Grand Junction is sponsoring legislation to repeal the $25 per-truckload fee imposed upon fuel manufacturers that sell or ship their products to Colorado, as well as abolishing the monitoring and processing fees from 2021’s House Bill 1189. 

The final bill in the package, sponsored by Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, would get rid of state income taxes on Social Security benefits for older Coloradans on fixed incomes. 

“All of these fees are hurting fixed-income folks,” said Pelton. “People who have worked their entire lives putting money into the Social Security account should not have to pay state income tax on their payments.”