Democratic leaders from the Colorado House and Senate joined Gov. Jared Polis in Denver on Thursday afternoon to tout what they see as their biggest successes of the 2025 legislative session. 

Despite a $1 billion shortfall, Polis said the legislature “(delivered) real results to build a more affordable, safer, stronger Colorado,” as well as crafted a balanced budget by “making important investments and cutting out waste.”

House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, Senate President James Coleman, D-Denver, and Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver, pointed to the bills passed this session that aim to tackle some of the state’s most pressing issues, including crime, affordability and housing. 

They also talked about the impact of federal actions on state legislation, with Democrats passing measures aimed at counteracting policies adopted by the Trump administration.

McCluskie sponsored House Bill 1321, which created the Colorado Defense Fund, a $4 million cash pool the state can use to cover costs associated with defending the state against what Democrats called “adverse federal actions,” such as lawsuits.  

“We will have additional resources to ensure we are protecting Colorado taxpayers from federal overreach,” McCluskie said. “This isn’t about partisan politics. To be very clear, this is about making sure that the dollars that Coloradans are paying and tax dollars to the feds are coming back and they’re not being taken away from us illegally. It is our job to protect and safeguard those dollars.”

McCluskie also spoke of the potential for a special session later in the year on Medicaid, as, she said, federal cuts “potentially loom ahead.” 

“We are fearful that the Trump administration is continuing to cut services in rural parts of our state, as well as cuts to public safety, agriculture and water infrastructure,” she added. 

Coleman, who is in his first year as Senate president, noted the culmination of a years-long effort to pass legislation on “construction defects,” referring to laws that many blamed for inhibiting condominium construction in Colorado. Coleman and his co-sponsors, Reps. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, Andrew Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins, and Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, hope House Bill 1272 would spur the construction of more condominiums across the state. 

“I’m so proud that we get to stand here today, having passed a policy with overwhelming bipartisan support that will make it easier and cheaper to build new condos and starter homes and give more Coloradans home ownership opportunities,” he said.

He added: “While our work is never truly done, I believe we should all be proud of what we accomplished over these last 120 days. These are meaningful results that will move Colorado towards a stronger, more prosperous future.”

Duran, who has made workers’ issues one of her top priorities, pointed to Democrats’ successful efforts to pass bills they said would help employees, including measures on wage theft and pay raises for home care workers. 

“Democrats stand up for workers, and we stand up for unions, too,” said Duran, an apparent nod to Senate Bill 005, which, if enacted, would repeal the election required by Colorado’s 80-year-old law before a union can begin to negotiate over imposing dues on non-union members. 

“Unions built this country. Unions increase wages, jobs, and economic growth. We believe in the power of workers and we showed it this year at the Capitol,” Duran said.  

Polis indicated on Thursday that he plans to reject the measure, noting labor and business failed to find a compromise that he had hoped would endure for another 80 years. 

Rodriguez commended his party’s work on consumer issues amid federal cuts to agencies.  

“We passed bold, forward-thinking legislation to protect Colorado consumers, crack down on corporate greed, and make life more affordable,” Rodriguez said. 

Among those bills, Rodriguez said, were measures to prohibit what sponsors called “price gouging” on essential products during emergencies, provide funding to safety net hospitals, and make it easier for people to cancel automatically-renewing subscriptions. 

“This session, we showed what it looks like to govern with compassion, courage, and common sense. We fought for affordability, safety, and the dignity and freedom of every Coloradan,” he said.