Colorado

Governor Polis highlighted delivering free preschool and full-day kindergarten as signature achievements, noting 98% of kindergarteners now use free full-day kindergarten. He celebrated finally eliminating the Budget Stabilization Factor to fully fund schools, increasing per-pupil funding from $8,000 to nearly $12,000, and setting a record 146,000 concurrent enrollment courses. He proposed creating a unified workforce department and emphasized his Let's Get Ready initiative connecting school skills to career outcomes.

Governor Polis extensively discussed healthcare affordability, noting his administration has tallied nearly $3 billion in savings for Coloradans through hospital price transparency laws, the Colorado Option, reinsurance, surprise billing bans, and insulin price caps. He warned that Medicaid costs are 'rising far faster than the rest of our budget' and called for systemic reform, saying 'we need Washington to step up and take real action on a real solution' for universal healthcare.

Governor Polis emphasized Colorado's ranking as the fourth-best business environment by U.S. News and top state for female entrepreneurs three years running. He highlighted Boom Supersonic as a $1.5 billion company started in a Denver basement, free community college programs, and 600,000 earn-and-learn apprenticeship opportunities. He proposed creating a unified workforce development department to consolidate fragmented job training programs across seven departments.

Governor Polis highlighted re-paving 2,500 miles of roads in five years, tackling the Floyd Hill project on I-70, and generating over $470 million annually in new transportation funding. He detailed progress on Mountain Passenger Rail through the Moffat Tunnel with service from Denver to Granby starting in about a year, Front Range Passenger Rail advancement, and Bustang ridership increasing fivefold to 2.3 million riders. He also emphasized more than 70 wildlife crossings statewide reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions by 90%.

Governor Polis reported violent crime down over 13%, property crime down nearly 18%, and a 61% decrease in auto theft over four years, including a 34% drop in the last year alone. He highlighted a 95% decline in catalytic converter theft in Denver. He referenced Proposition 130's $15 million for local law enforcement recruitment and retention. He also called for bipartisan action on individuals who cannot stand trial but are charged with crimes, and emphasized wildfire preparedness with state-owned helicopters and firefighting equipment.

Governor Polis highlighted Colorado's clean energy progress, noting the share of energy from clean sources grew by nearly 75% during his tenure, and bad air quality days dropped from 65 to 30. He noted 204,000 EVs on Colorado roads (up from 18,000 in 2019) and pushed for continued progress toward 100% clean energy while acknowledging federal headwinds require flexibility. He addressed Colorado River negotiations, pine beetle outbreaks, and the creation of $120 million in new annual funding for public lands conservation through the Keep Colorado Wild pass.

Governor Polis devoted significant attention to housing, citing the HOME Act to open doors to more housing by partnering with higher education, nonprofits, transit agencies, and housing authorities to build on underutilized land. He highlighted ADU expansion, single-stair home reforms, construction defects liability reform for condos, the Educator First Housing initiative helping 3,000 teachers buy homes, and over 10,000 new homes built through Proposition 123. He proposed making it easier to subdivide and sell property and called for funding the senior homestead exemption.

Governor Polis celebrated cutting income and property taxes multiple times during his tenure, saving the average family of four over $600 annually and taxpayers nearly $2.5 billion last year. He noted Colorado's budget reserves reached 13% and expressed hope for further income tax rate cuts. He highlighted the impact of federal actions including HR 1 gutting the state budget by $1 billion overnight and eliminating TABOR refunds, and called for converting Pinnacol to fund the $200 million senior homestead exemption.

Governor Polis addressed AI as having "tremendous potential" and called for thoughtful regulation that drives innovation while empowering consumers. He highlighted Colorado's growth in electric vehicles (204,000 on roads, #1 nationally for EV sales percentage), cybersecurity industry growth of 350%, and the state's $1 billion Capital of Quantum initiative with Microsoft. He also noted the myColorado app used by nearly 2 million residents and called for a unified workforce department to prepare workers for technological change.

Governor Polis discussed helping the next generation of agricultural producers adapt to a changing climate through Water Plan Grants and work led by Ag Commissioner Kate Greenberg. He noted agriculture is on the front lines of drought and emphasized building resilience for farmers and ranchers facing hotter, drier conditions.

Governor Polis thanked veterans, service members, and Colorado's law enforcement for their service. He specifically recognized the Colorado National Guard for frontline wildfire and flood response, including helicopter water drops and evacuation support during the Cameron Peak, East Troublesome, and Marshall fires. He noted federal funding threats to safety grants and expressed commitment to filling gaps left by Washington.

Governor Polis called for creating a unified workforce development department to serve as a 'one-stop-shop,' consolidating programs scattered across seven state departments with 110 different programs. He highlighted the myColorado app used by nearly 2 million Coloradans, contract turnaround times reduced from 61 to 33 days, and state hiring reforms that focus on skills instead of degrees.

Governor Polis celebrated free preschool and full-day kindergarten as signature achievements, noting 98% kindergarten enrollment and Colorado now ranking third nationally for preschool enrollment. He highlighted the Family Affordability Tax Credit cutting child poverty by 41%, giving Colorado the lowest childhood poverty rate nationally. He also noted the state's work on healthcare savings approaching $3 billion and six free behavioral health sessions for those under 18.

Governor Polis highlighted saving the average Colorado family of four over $600 annually through income and property tax cuts, with taxpayers saving nearly $2.5 billion last year. He noted Trump tariffs cost Coloradans an average $1,700 per year. He emphasized housing reforms including ADU legalization, construction defect reform, and the HOME Act. He reported homeowners insurance costs up 91% since 2019 and proposed measures to bring them down. He called for cutting the income tax rate further and noted the Family Affordability Tax Credit helped cut child poverty by nearly 41%.

Governor Polis criticized the Trump administration's immigration agenda as "costly and cruel," noting that nearly 75% of people in immigration detention centers have no criminal history. He described families debating whether to go to work or send children to school out of fear, calling the situation incompatible with Colorado values.