Jared Polis delivered his sixth State of the State address. We explain what he said.

Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday delivered his sixth State of the State address at the Colorado Capitol.

He used the speech to share his policy priorities for the 2024 lawmaking term that began Wednesday, ruffling some feathers in his party along the way. The governor also made pop culture references, joked about his interest in running for president and talked about improving the political discourse.

The Colorado Sun annotated the governor’s 57-minute speech to provide context to — and fact check — what he said.

Find our analysis in the gray boxes. We added the full names, party affiliations and hometowns of the state lawmakers mentioned in the governor’s address for clarity. We also edited the speech for style. Otherwise, the following is a direct transcript of the governor’s address. 

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You’ll be happy to know that the escort committee did their job. I wasn’t able to escape. I tried between the first and second floor but they fully contained me and did their job.

Welcome.

Over the last year, I’ve been thinking a lot about who we want to be when our great state turns 150 years old in just two years. As we envision our future together, I’m often reminded of President Kennedy’s speech at Rice University in 1962, because it was there that he articulated his bold vision, saying, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade … not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.”

He took a seemingly impossible goal, something never attempted in human history, and made it a mission. The “moonshot” goal, as it came to be known, set a standard, not just for the United States, but the world, and it ushered in a new era of American innovation.

Seven years later, Neil Armstrong spoke those famous words, “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” — turning the moonshot goal into “mission accomplished.”

It wasn’t easy. But with a vision to guide the way and that famous American work ethic, they got it.

There’s been a lot of speculation about Polis’ interest in running for president. He has in the past tossed cold water on the idea, but by starting off his sixth State of the State address with a presidential quote, he’s not going to end the conversation.

Throughout Colorado’s history, we’ve often been the ones leading the change, blazing new trails, turning our dreams into reality. We’ve literally moved mountains, building roads and tunnels and railroads through the seemingly impenetrable Rockies.

We were the very first state in America to pass voting rights for women through a vote of the people. That helped cement Colorado’s place as a state that not only cherishes and upholds the rights and freedoms of people, but expands those rights in pursuit of a more perfect state and nation.

Colorado’s Republican Gov. Ralph Carr stood virtually alone among high-ranking elected officials in opposing the forced relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II, and in condemning racial prejudice.

Over the last five years, we’ve blazed new trails in Colorado in early childhood education with the creation of free, full-day kindergarten and free universal preschool — saving families thousands of dollars. We’ve helped give more children a strong start in life.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational use of cannabis, setting a standard for innovation and safety and economic mobility that’s been replicated by other states across the nation and countries across the world that come here to learn what Colorado did right. Now, thanks to our voters, we’re once again leading the nation on natural medicine, unfreezing 50-plus years of stifled research to learn about the potential benefits for the people of our state and beyond.

This is a reference to Colorado voters’ 2022 decision to legalize psychedelic mushrooms and pave the way for other psychedelics — ibogaine, from the root bark of an iboga tree; mescaline, which is from cacti; and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT, a natural compound found in plants and animals — to be legalized.

We’re a hub for the groundbreaking quantum industry — with computing capabilities and job creation that even some of the most futuristic movies and novels — most of which I’ve read — could not imagine.

And, at long last, Colorado is the rightful permanent home of U.S. Space Command. And the ongoing presence of U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs will help support and ensure our national security in the increasingly important space domain.

All of this work at one point seemed hard, even pie in the sky. But we’ve proven that we can accomplish anything when we work together.

You know, as I look around this room, I see a few of you who might have announced campaigns for other offices. We’re sorry that we risk losing you. We want to keep you busy here. Whether it’s Congress, county commissioner, mayor, city council — and frankly I want to thank you for your desire to continue to serve. There’s been some buzz about what might be next for me, as well. I don’t pay much credence to it, but nevertheless. But I’m ready to put an end to the speculation. With competition gearing up in the next few weeks I want to announce I’m ready to try out for the Colorado Rockies this spring. Who needs legislation when you can have home runs. And frankly, we all know they could use the help.

All kidding aside, together, we can ensure that our state remains the very best place to live, to raise a family, to launch a business. We can strengthen our dynamic economy, create jobs and make Colorado safer. And we all know — because the voters know and have told us — that we need to work to make Colorado more affordable.

Together we can create more housing for Coloradans of all income levels and increase access to convenient and low-cost transit opportunities, improve our quality of life, make the future of our state brighter and our state more livable. A better environment, cleaner water and air, a strong economy and better transportation.

If there was a throughline to Polis’ speech, this was it.

The real life situations that families face on rent or a mortgage need no introduction or explanation to any of us because they loom large within our own personal friends and family network of Coloradans who are struggling to make their rent or mortgage every month. It’s truly a matter of statewide concern.

Simply put, we must create more housing in our state that Coloradans at all income levels can rent or buy in the communities where people want to live, near job opportunities that pay well. And by reducing housing costs we will also decrease homelessness in our communities. And I want to thank the mayors who are on the front lines of this issue and have joined us here today: Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade and Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt. Let’s welcome them.

Look, I’ve been spending a lot of time listening to Coloradans across the state, from Pueblo to Fort Collins, from Aurora to Grand Junction. It’s no surprise that everywhere in our state the top issue is housing costs.

I hear from parents who fear their children will never own a home in Colorado. And they aren’t alone — 83% of Colorado parents worry their children won’t be able to afford to live here.

I hear from older Coloradans who fear they won’t be able to age in the communities they call home, or won’t be able to downsize because, even though their house might have increased in value, high interest rates and property taxes prevent them from affording even a smaller home. That’s why I hope that this session we can work to make the senior homestead exemption portable.

I also hear from young parents who want to raise their children in a home of their own, from front-line workers, from teachers, firefighters, police officers, health care workers. I thank our exceptional state workforce — many of whom can’t afford to live near the community that they work and are forced to spend significant time and cost on the road getting to their jobs. I hear from business owners who can’t or have difficulty recruiting the talent they need. College students who sadly have lost hope and don’t believe that home ownership will ever be part of their future.

In our state, there’s a sense of hopelessness and despair around housing that’s on par, in some ways, with how people feel about the divisiveness of our national politics. Since the start of 2022, higher interest rates and home values have driven the typical mortgage payment up over 70%, and income has simply not kept up.

The monthly payment on a median-priced home in Colorado Springs or Denver is now more than 40% of a typical household’s median income. Before the pandemic, it was below 30%.

To do nothing would be, as Spock would say, “highly illogical.” Last year, we took an important step banning growth caps that outlawed new housing in our communities thanks to the leadership of Rep. William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, and Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver.

The governor is a nerd. He has inserted a pop culture or science fiction reference into each of his State of the State addresses since taking office in 2019. This wasn’t the only one in this year’s speech.

I also signed an executive order to remove bureaucratic barriers and cut through red tape, reducing turnaround times on contracts and grants from the Department of Local Affairs and the Division of Housing to 90 days.

This was a relatively small step taken in August that came after the governor’s major housing measure failed at the Capitol last year.

The state is putting our skin in the game, and doing our part to solve the housing crisis. And with your partnership, we can and we will build on that progress.

Together we can create a Colorado where homeowners have the property rights and financial tools that they need to build an accessory dwelling unit — also known as a granny flat or a mother-in-law cottage or a casita — for an aging parent or a long-term renter, creating more housing supply that’s inherently affordable and filling critical gaps in our communities near job centers. According to a recent survey, more than 80% of Coloradans support allowing ADUs in their communities.

Today we’re joined by somebody that shows the success of accessory dwelling units — Yoseph Assefa, a Coloradan who directly experienced the benefits of ADUs. Yoseph said that the ability to build an ADU on his property with the Denver Housing Authority has been a game changer for his family. It increased his property value and created another lower-cost housing option for the family of four that he’s now renting to. Please join me in welcoming Yoseph, here today with his family.

Together we can help more Coloradans like Yoseph make decisions that work best not only for themselves and their families, but create more housing opportunities for others. And I look forward to working with the sponsors who are leading the way in this exciting legislative effort.

This session, I will be supportive of bills that reduce the cost of housing and encourage innovative approaches, like new financing strategies, easing parking restrictions, tackling liability costs for multifamily condos, reducing the cost of fire insurance — especially in the face of increasing climate-related disasters, like the Marshall fire, which we just observed the second anniversary of. And I will be very skeptical of bills that would increase the cost of housing.

As you might be able to tell, housing policy creates more affordable choices for Coloradans — in some ways, it’s my Roman Empire. If you don’t get that joke, just ask someone from Generation Z.

We’ll spare you: This was a nod to a viral TikTok trend. Learn more about it here.

Ending discriminatory occupancy limits that especially hurt renters is another important way that we can break down harmful barriers to housing and create more equity. And I want to thank Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, and Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, and Sen. Gonzales and Sen. Tony Exum. D-Colorado Springs, for taking on this important housing and civil rights issue.

One of the first measures introduced in the Capitol this year, House Bill 1007, would prohibit local governments from enacting residential occupancy limits unless they are tied to minimum square-footage-per-person requirement to regulate safety, health and welfare.

What it comes down to is creating a Colorado where people from all backgrounds can live in homes that they can afford near accessible and reliable transportation options — buses, biking, walkable neighborhoods.

You know, imagine leaving your home and heading to the train stop or bus station just a few blocks away. Maybe you walk or ride your bike. From there, you ride to work — and I know some of you do this — you ride to work in style, and because the schedule is reliable, you know exactly what time you’ll catch the train or bus to come home later that day. You can catch up on your favorite reading or get ahead on your work along the way. You don’t have to worry about whether you have enough gas, or if the roads are icy. And if you choose to drive a car, there is less traffic.

On the weekends you use that same transit stop to head downtown to see me play for the World Series champion Rockies, or for dinner with your friends. And because you live in a home you can afford, you are saving money on gas and car repairs, and you can put your money toward other priorities. What a wonderful day in Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood, and soon more neighborhoods across Colorado.

And this is already happening in communities like Olde Town Arvada and downtown Fort Collins, where thriving downtown centers are built around business and commerce and transportation and housing.

But we need more shining examples across our state.

Transit-oriented and connected communities can create a better future for our state and drive our prosperity and our enjoyment with less traffic, more housing people can actually afford, better air quality. And we want to provide the tools that our communities need to make it happen.

And this year, I’m excited about a proposal in our budget that will help local governments build housing infrastructure in transit-oriented neighborhoods by addressing construction hurdles, like access to water, aging sewage and stormwater systems; and by increasing opportunities for walking and biking, busing, all forms of transportation.

It’s a start, but we need a well-rounded approach, and that includes goals for housing that every community can work towards in their own way.

These goals should consider jobs and costs and zoning capacity and transit areas and housing density, and of course factors like regional equity and infrastructure, and water efficiency.

We also need transit-oriented housing policy that incentivizes communities to not only meet meaningful goals and provides accountability, but rewards jurisdictions for going above and beyond.

I’m excited that my budget also expands the state affordable housing tax credit, providing crucial financial incentives for transit areas that will help with affordability and to build out this compelling vision for quality of life.

The governor’s budget proposal calls for $30 million in affordable housing tax credits to help finance multifamily housing projects near transit.

I want to thank Reps. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora, and Steven Woodrow, D-Denver, and Sens. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, and Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, for their work to help more Coloradans live in transit-oriented communities and achieve this powerful vision of more affordable housing and transit that works in our great state.

This work is important, but in order to build more housing near reliable transit, we need — you guessed it — transit that works better.

The distance the average Coloradan drives per year has increased by more than 20% over the past few decades, and recent data shows that commuters in Denver were stuck in traffic for an average of 54 hours a year. That’s more than an entire work week just stuck in traffic. I’ve experienced that, and I know you have, too.

And time isn’t the only thing getting wasted. Coloradans are spending too much on gas, to the tune of roughly $1,800 per year per driver on average, not to mention maintenance and depreciation costs.

Thanks to Senate Bill 260 from 2021, which supercharged transportation funding for the state, and significant federal funding, roads are finally getting better across the state of Colorado, but we’re not done yet. We have the planes and we have the automobiles. Now we just need the trains.

For too long passenger rail has been another “moonshot” — out of reach for too many people in our state. Coloradans love the idea, but often many people believe it’s not something they’ll see in our lifetimes. Yes it’s big, and yes it’s bold. But I’m here to tell you passenger rail service that works is within reach.

Agatha Christie wrote, “To travel by train is to see nature and human beings … in fact, to see life.”

And we have a vision for delivering Front Range and Mountain Rail that will create access points across the state that connect people to more housing, more businesses and more jobs. Getting people places quicker and less expensively. And we’re going to get it done.

After years of waiting, the pieces are falling into place. The federal government has approved more than $66 billion dollars — that’s billion with a B — to create a world-class rail system for the country. So it’s not a question of if the United States will see a massive expansion of passenger rail, but it’s simply a question of whether Colorado will seize this opportunity and get our share of those federal dollars to deliver passenger rail to the residents of our state.

With existing tracks, now utilized mostly for commercial rail, we have an opportunity to extend daily, regularly scheduled passenger rail service through the Rocky Mountains. And we need to take action to ensure that we get train service from Union Station to west Jefferson County, Winter Park, Steamboat Springs and on to Craig and Hayden, alleviating traffic in our mountain corridors, supporting more housing that’s affordable for the local workforce, and helping coal-dependent communities strengthen and diversify their economies.

Together we must also deliver on the unfulfilled FasTracks promise of train service from Union Station to Boulder and Longmont. And not 2040-something, not 2030-something. And of course on to Loveland and Fort Collins. Again, this isn’t pie in the sky: we can do this through a joint effort between CDOT, RTD, the Front Range Rail district, and we can start that work now. The problem of unfinished public transit in our state has simply gone on far too long, and taxpayers are sick and tired of paying for services that they’re not getting.

If we move boldly this session to seize these unprecedented federal investments, we can look to lock in transformational passenger rail opportunities in time for our 150th birthday in 2026. The story of our state’s founding and early economic success is intertwined with the historic railroad expansion of the 1880s, just as our dreams for the future will be intertwined with the expansion of passenger rail and transit-oriented communities.

That’s an ambitious schedule. Under the most ambitious timeline, passenger rail — at least on the Front Range — is likely a decade away.

I look forward to partnering with Senate President Fenberg to ensure we take the opportunity to get this done.

These efforts need to be combined with a more expansive statewide bus system. Colorado has seen the exciting success of Bustang, Snowstang and Pegasus, which connected nearly 300,000 Coloradans already, just last year across our state. And that means 300,000 cars off the road and less traffic. And this is a model that we are continuing to expand. But we know we need to go further to improve convenience for all Coloradans, improve our air quality and reduce traffic.

It’s not something we can do alone. We need reliable regional transit organizations across our state, including in our major metropolitan areas. We can have access to better transportation options that truly meet the needs of all Coloradans, but it requires us to reimagine what that means.

And of course that includes helping to reimagine and support RTD. With state investments like free fares for better air, we are seeing some progress and increased ridership. But we know there’s more work to do.

So we can actually deliver on the housing and transit solutions — the two are wedded together — that Coloradans are demanding. As Yoda would say, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

We told you Polis was a nerd. He quoted Yoda — and tried to imitate his voice — in his 2023 State of the State speech, too.

We must do, and we must show Coloradans what it looks like when there is more housing for every budget and more convenient and lower-cost mobility statewide for everyone.

Nothing is more important to our fundamental health of our communities than public safety. I want to take a moment to recognize the men and women in law enforcement and the members of the military that are here with us today. If they can rise and let us express gratitude for their service.

Thank you for your work.

We all deserve to be safe, which is why our goal is to make Colorado one of the 10 safest states by 2027 and I’ll be supporting legislation to further that goal and will be very skeptical of any legislation that would make Colorado less safe.

Polis made this promise as part of his 2022 election campaign, but so far he hasn’t offered many specifics on how he plans to accomplish the goal.

Over the last few years we’ve made important investments in effective, locally driven efforts, including training and support for local law enforcement.

That’s resulted in scholarships for 135 recruits to attend the POST Academy; 194 law enforcement recruitment events across the state; more than 900 training sessions; and more than 400 community outreach events.

Through legislation led by Sen. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, former Sen. John Cooke, R-Greeley, Sen. Perry Will, R-New Castle, and Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver, we funded more than 50 initiatives throughout the state that use evidence-based strategies to make our communities safer, such as crime prevention and violence interrupter efforts, law enforcement community outreach, crisis intervention, mentoring, co-response models and recovery housing —to name a few data-driven models that work.

Early data shows a downward trend in violent crime, which is why this year we want to continue these investments to create safer Colorado communities for everyone.

We’re not sure what dataset the governor was citing here.

Last year, with the leadership of Sen. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, Sen. Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada, and Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, R-Watkins, we took important steps to crack down on auto theft. When a car is stolen, it impacts employment and health care and child care — and many aspects of daily life. It’s more than just a simple property crime.

And we invested in technology to locate and return stolen vehicles, we strengthened the dedicated auto-theft task force. We provided more money for district attorneys to successfully prosecute the criminals responsible, and we took action to make criminal penalties tougher for auto theft by eliminating the value of a vehicle from consideration.

I’m proud to report to you that we’re starting to move in the right direction. As of September of last year, Colorado had seen a 21% year-over-year reduction in stolen vehicles, a 27% reduction in the city of Denver — driven by a major reduction of auto theft at Denver International Airport.

And we need to do more. Ongoing, data-driven investments in reducing auto theft are absolutely critical to continue to fight all the crimes associated with auto theft and the difficulty that it causes for victims.

And we are also actively involved in helping victims of crime get back on their feet, providing additional funding to help people get the support and the resources they need to recover and to heal. We’ve called on our Congressional delegation to increase federal funding for victims through a fix to the Victims of Crime Act. I especially admire and appreciate Majority Leader Monica Duran’s, D-Wheat Ridge, continued advocacy for this important work and look forward to the partnership in the session ahead.

Sadly, in the last few months, there’s been a dramatic increase in horrific acts of hate across the world, including here at home in Colorado. Between Oct. 7 and Jan. 7, the Anti-Defamation League recorded a 360% increase in antisemitic incidents nationwide. The rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate in all of its forms is simply unacceptable in the state of Colorado.

Colorado is a state that welcomes everyone — no matter your country, your background, where or how you worship, who you love. Every single person has the right to feel safe at home, in their communities and at their places of worship.

So, we called on this body to help protect nonprofit organizations and religious institutions, like temples and mosques, that are facing a heightened risk of targeted hate and violence. I want to thank the Joint Budget Committee for taking swift action to provide additional funding for this work last month. And I’m proud to report that we’ve already gotten the money out.

Today we are joined by educators from Beth Jacob High School of Denver and the Islamic Center of Fort Collins, both of which received funding supported by the state of Colorado and are using it to make security improvements and better protect their communities. Please join me in welcoming them here today.

And it goes beyond simple funding, which helps. They told me about the windows they’ve installed and the cameras and the steps they’ve been able to take to protect their congregants thanks to the state. It’s also about coordinating our efforts to root out hate altogether.

In keeping with our commitment to public safety, Colorado is leading the nation in our work to prevent gun violence. Whether it’s strengthening our red flag laws, establishing waiting periods, requiring safe storage of firearms if kids are in the household, or the work banning ghost guns, we are a model for the nation in practical, commonsense solutions to reduce gun violence, while protecting our cherished Second Amendment rights. I want to thank Sen. Tom Sullivan and his fellow legislators for their work to make this possible.

To build on this work and make Coloradans safer, we are proposing additional investments to prevent convicted felons from illegally purchasing firearms. Each year, thousands of people who are prohibited from purchasing a firearm try to do so illegally. And as a state, we need to stand firm and crack down on illegal firearm activity. We’re working with U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan, Attorney General Phil Weiser and district attorneys across the state to get it done, while supporting our rural DA offices.

The governor’s budget also calls for spending $600,000 to hire a group of attorneys who would be loaned out to the federal government to prosecute gun crimes in federal court, including to pursue cases that are no longer illegal under state law.

And while all of this work supports safe and thriving communities, helping us each reach our goal of becoming one of the 10 safest states, we also know that another important element of safe Colorado communities is a strong education system that serves everybody and provides opportunity to everyone.

Education is the universal key, opening the doors we never even dreamed existed, transporting us to distant lands, exploring the deepest oceans, and catapulting us to the moon. Education opens our eyes to new ideas. It invites us to dream big dreams, and to give us the tools to turn those dreams into reality.

Education, as you know, has long been a passion of mine. I know it’s a passion shared by many if not all of you here in the room today.

With the leadership of Sen. Zenzinger and Sen. Bridges, Rep. Bird, and Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Adams County, Colorado took urgent action in the special session to ensure more than 300,000 Colorado children have healthy meals throughout summer, thanks to summer EBT.

Senate Bill 2, passed in the November special session with bipartisan support, authorized the state to join a new federal program that provides summer meals for children from low-income families. The program is expected to provide up to $42 million in federal funding for meals each year.

And we are saving families thousands of dollars per year on preschool and full-day kindergarten. I’ve spent a lot of time in classrooms across the state, where I hear from educators and students about what preschool means to them. It’s a special thing to see children and their families access the benefits of early childhood education for the first time — we have a child right there — that’s the lieutenant governor’s granddaughter and (who will be in) preschool in about three years, right? — and, by the way, free preschool helped propel Colorado from 26th to 8th in the country in preschool access in just one year.

Again, it’s not free.

And I want to thank the voters of our state, and both universal preschool and, of course, the new ballot initiative to keep the overage passed with more than two-thirds of the vote and in this day and age, passing red counties and blue counties, rural counties, urban counties, Republican counties, Democratic, you name it, people said, “kids ought to be able to go to preschool.” That’s a powerful statement and it will have powerful impact on the lives of Coloradans. I want to thank, in addition to the voters, legislative champions Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver, Sen. Buckner, President Fenberg, for their incredible leadership that helped bring preschool to life and make it work.

And I’m proud that just a few months ago, Colorado voters passed Proposition II, dedicating an additional $23.7 million to preschool, expanding hours and making preschool even better for next year. I’m so excited that in its very first year about 40,000 children are enrolled in preschool, saving each family more than $6,000 per year.

And I’m proud of what’s going on across our state in public education. I’m proud of our Bright Spot Award winners. There are schools around the state with major increases in student achievement in areas like math and science during some very challenging years for education. These schools are models that others can follow, and we want to help give them the support and funding they need to serve even more students and share their successes. Please join me in welcoming the principals and educators from two Bright Spot Award winners who are here today: Paonia Elementary in Delta County — a science Bright Spot award winner —and Minnequa Elementary in Pueblo — a math Bright Spot award winner.

We have a lot to learn and schools and school districts across our state have a lot to learn from what works in our state. Last year we passed bipartisan legislation to help more students and educators access the resources they need, after-school hours to improve math achievement, including more hours focused on strengthening their skills, thanks to the leadership of Reps. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, and Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, and Sen. Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, and Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument. And now we want to work with you to expand out-of-school opportunities to boost science achievement as well. It’s so important for kids’ success and Colorado’s success in our second 150 years. I look forward to working with you to get that done.

But our work is far from finished.

This year, thanks to the leadership of the people in this room, and after a decade — more than a decade, 15 years, we are finally eliminating the budget stabilization factor with, of course, a plan to continue that investment.

This historic investment means an additional $705 per student on average. That’s about $15,500 more for a classroom of 22 kids. That’s on top of last year’s increase of more than $1,000 per student, made possible by this legislature.

It means better teacher pay, expanded learning opportunities for students, professional development aligned with successful outcomes, and better resources for our classrooms.

With the budget stabilization buydown and action from the General Assembly, we will also achieve full mill levy equalization for Charter School Institute schools in Colorado.

This has been a long time coming, and we are thrilled to fulfill our commitment to voters and enter a new era of full education funding in the state of Colorado.

And just as we continue investing in students from preschool through high school, we also need to continue to invest in the success of lifelong learners, graduation and powering our economic growth — preparing people of all ages for successful careers.

Right now there are about two job openings for every unemployed Coloradan.

We want every person in Colorado to be able to build a good life and a good career on their own terms, and we are creating many different ways to do that — from dual and concurrent enrollment to low-cost credentialing.

With the leadership of Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, and Rep. Pugliese, and Sen. Buckner and Sen. Will, we’ve expanded free community and technical colleges for in-demand careers — which has already served more than 3,500 nurses, construction workers and law enforcement individuals to help them enter a career that allows them to succeed and one that we need to fill open positions in. We’ve also partnered with businesses to develop needed training pathways, we’ve created a pilot scholarship program to support innovation in education.

We’re working with higher education institutions to keep tuition low through innovation and greater efficiency. And thanks to Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs, and Rep. Marc Catlin, R-Montrose, and Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, and Sen. Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, we’re developing the next generation of farmers and ranchers through the Agricultural Workforce Development Program, helping young people, particularly in rural areas, get real-world experience of working on a farm or ranch through a paid apprenticeship.

Higher education leaders say the governor’s budget plan would do the opposite. They have requested $120 million more than what the governor initially proposed in order to keep tuition increases for in-state students to 2% next year.

But we know we need to go further and innovate even more, increasing the number of state government apprenticeships by 50%, supporting the creation of 100 new apprenticeship opportunities in the private sector — by June 30 of this year.

The state has taken the lead in hiring apprentices, but it’s still been a struggle to persuade private employers to invest in inexperienced workers who need training.

And these actions translate to more jobs where Coloradans can learn while they earn, saving money on education or training, helping companies fill available jobs. Stronger businesses, stronger economy, better earning potential for our residents.

We also want to continue Opportunity Now — which was passed thanks to the work of Speaker McCluskie and Sen. Bridges, Sen. Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction, Sen. Lundeen — to help blur the lines between K-12, higher education and employers. And grantees are now on track to serve 10,000 Coloradans in industries like construction, health care, education and early childhood. But we’re just getting started, and soon, with the work of Rep. Lukens, and Rep. Soper, and Sen. Bridges, we can create even more ways for Coloradans to become skilled construction workers and plumbers, pipefitters, electricians and more. Earning a good living and powering our economy.

Colorado is truly becoming a national leader in this work, and by innovating, innovating, innovating, we’ll continue to save Coloradans money while strengthening our workforce for a more prosperous future.

We are also continuing the important and critical work of saving people money on health care — which, after housing, is the second-largest cost that Coloradans face.

Since Day One of my administration, starting with the creation of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, we’ve been bold in taking on the entrenched special interests and tackling the true cost drivers in health care. Our work to save people money on health care is led by our incredible and dedicated Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera.

This has already led to historic successes, including the bipartisan reinsurance and the Colorado Option, both of which have been cost-saving game-changers for people accessing health care in our state.

Since its creation, reinsurance has saved thousands of dollars for families.

A family of four in Grand Junction has saved nearly $26,000 since 2020 thanks to reinsurance. In Pueblo, families have saved more than $18,000. That’s real money. And I want to thank the bipartisan legislators who worked to make these savings possible. Other states — even the federal government — are taking notice and modeling their own efforts after Colorado’s.

We’ve also capped the cost of insulin and, last session, thanks to the leadership of Sen. Roberts and Rep. Mabrey and Rep. Jodeh, EpiPens as well.

But we know that our work isn’t done.

Prescription drugs still account for a significant portion of health care costs in Colorado and across the country. The simple truth is that Coloradans, and people across the U.S., are tired of being ripped off for the prices of necessary medications that cost a fraction of the amount in other wealthy nations.

Spending on prescription drugs in the U.S. is double that of other countries. Nearly 10% of Coloradans were unable to fill a prescription because of costs. That’s why we continue urging the FDA to approve our application to reduce lower cost, through to allow more for a lower-cost prescription drugs by importing prescription drugs from Canada and why the Prescription Drug Affordability Board is so vital to this work.

We also are proposing more support for the individuals who provide home-based care, helping more Coloradans connect to services through better technology. And especially as we approach what would have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade. I appreciate the steps the General Assembly has taken to protect personal reproductive health decisions, including abortion, reminding us all that Coloradans value the freedom to make our own choices.

We also need greater access to behavioral health care, and to build on the success of I Matter, championed by Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, our budget calls for more support for behavioral health, better autism care for youth, expanded care for youth facing acute and severe behavioral health challenges, investments in mental health support for our rural and agricultural communities, and those involved in the criminal justice system.

At the heart of these conversations are the Coloradans that we’re working to expanding access for and helping to save money, which is why I continue to make this work a top priority. It was important then, it’s important now, so we need to innovate and look for more ways to lower costs and save people money on health care.

Part of a healthy life means a healthy environment, and here in Colorado we’re an example to the nation of how to protect the natural world around us and combat the impact of a changing climate.

We are already on track to exceed our goal of 80% clean energy by 2030 — just six years from now.

Colorado has made great progress in reducing emissions from electricity generation. However, a state report in late 2023 showed major new policy changes, including legislative action, are needed to put the state back on track to reach overall greenhouse gas targets for 2030 and beyond.

We have one of the most ambitious strategies in the country to reduce local air pollution from the oil and gas and transportation industries, including achieving electric vehicle sales that are six times higher than when I took office. And we look forward to working with the legislature to advance our budget request to further improve air quality, utilizing recommendations from environmental justice advocates.

My administration has delivered on more than 95% of the actions outlined in our first Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap, and will soon be releasing our second roadmap with more than 40 new actions. We also are grateful that we now have federal funding to achieve these goals even faster thanks to the work of the United States Congress and President Biden.

Now we need to cut red tape that’s holding back local investment and unprecedented federal resources in renewable and clean energy, including building transmission lines more quickly, renewable energy development quicker, storing carbon dioxide pollution underground. We’re excited about legislation led by Sen. Fenberg and Sen. Hansen to expedite these critical projects.

Hand in hand with our climate work is our leadership on protecting and conserving our wildlife and wild places. We’ll continue to take bold action to protect our cherished public lands and Colorado is finally factoring in variables that have long been neglected, like tracking the rate of year-to-year biodiversity loss, improving soil health, and focusing on ecosystem resiliency in the face of an ever-changing climate.

We are strengthening native biodiversity and restoring balance to our ecosystems by bringing back native species like the Canada lynx, the black-footed ferret, and, as of mid-December, we successfully met the voter mandated deadline for reintroduction of gray wolves in our state.

We also need to protect that progress by continuing to invest in nonlethal conflict minimization that works to help our farmers and ranchers thrive in this inclusive future. Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture play key roles, and we need your help to continue supporting their work to reduce and minimalize conflicts with wildlife.

We have also invested nearly $300 million into our precious water resources towards implementation of the visionary Colorado Water Plan, and remain committed to aggressively defending Colorado’s interests and rights in the Colorado River negotiations.

All of this work — from protecting our environment and wildlife, to housing and transit, education and workforce, to public safety — means a stronger and better Colorado where everyone can get ahead. And in addition to these efforts, we need to continue to work to strengthen our economy and help people hold on to more of their hard-earned money.

Thanks to Colorado’s amazing success, we’re well on our way towards another record year of TABOR surpluses, projected to be between $1.6 and $1.8 billion-with-a-B dollars. A healthy TABOR surplus is the sign of a strong economy, but also a signal that the tax rate is simply too high.

Republicans applauded this line. Democrats sat silently.

Tax relief is the best mechanism to relieve cost of living pressure and spur economic growth for everyone in our state.

One of the secrets to Colorado’s economic success was that whenever there was a TABOR surplus, after paying for the senior homestead property tax exemption, and now we also hope paying for making it portable, there was always an automatic income tax cut the following year. And that happened during the first two years of my administration. But since we’ve now, thanks for the voters, {{permanently reduced the income tax rate, that particular mechanism is no longer active.

I know some Democrats in the past have been skeptical of reducing our income tax rate, but cutting the income tax rate is the most effective way to further our economic growth.}} In my 2020 State of the State address I echoed President Kennedy and President Obama’s calls for cutting the income tax rate and the people of our state delivered twice and I thank them.

President Kennedy didn’t just launch the moonshot, he delivered one of the largest income tax cuts in the history of the United States, saying that income taxes, “exerts too heavy a drag on growth (and) reduce the financial incentives for personal effort, investment, and risk-taking.” Those cuts in the income tax helped spur America’s astronomic economic growth.

Of course, cutting the income tax rate isn’t a panacea, but to spur continued growth, it should be part — part — of any significant progressive reforms to TABOR refund mechanisms. Isn’t that great? I get applause from nobody, which means we all agree.

Likewise, we know that property taxes are a part of what’s driving up the cost of living in Colorado. So let me take a moment to commend the General Assembly for your hard work during the special session last November to reduce property tax rates. Thanks to your efforts, we’re saving Coloradans money in the short term, as we work together towards a long-term replacement to the Gallagher Amendment to keep property taxes low, and I urge you to do as much as you can to reduce property taxes this session.

Republicans, who have been rightly supportive of providing an income tax cut through TABOR rebates and beyond, and I thank you, have at times supported using TABOR surplus for property tax relief as well, but unfortunately, during the special session, vocally opposed that concept. I believe that’s shortsighted because we should use every tool we have to reduce property taxes while minimizing any harm to local services like fire protection and school districts.

This work means more money in Coloradans’ pockets, a stronger economy, a more affordable Colorado.

As demonstrated by our healthy surplus in Colorado, taxes are simply too high: income taxes, property taxes and the state sales tax. We ignore that signal at our own peril and I challenge Democrats and Republicans to work together to improve our economic growth and success by not taking taxes that we can’t keep anyway and instead working on a bold and balanced and progressive package, including cutting the income tax rate.

While we might not agree on everything related to TABOR, I want to talk about something we can all agree on: Coloradans’ TABOR refunds must remain free of federal taxes as they have for 30 years. I want to thank Sen. Michael Bennet and others for this continued work.

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s office announced this week that the Internal Revenue Service would put off its decision to tax TABOR refunds for at least another year. The state’s congressional delegation, as well as Polis, had been urging the IRS not to tax the funds.

We’re working closely with the IRS and are steadfast in our commitment to help Coloradans keep more of their hard-earned money.

You know, when I first ran for governor, I envisioned a Colorado for all — one where everyone can thrive.

And we’re guided by that same mission today.

No matter who you are, no matter who you love, no matter your faith, where you came from, what you look like, regardless of your age or ability status, how long you’ve been here — whether you’ve just arrived or if you’ve been here for generations — you belong.

And as we get closer to Colorado’s sesquicentennial — 150th birthday —remember we all need to learn how to say sesquicentennial — I know we all want to help everyone get ahead in our great state. And that means applying Colorado for All to every facet of our lives: health care, housing, transportation, education, careers, public safety and more.

It means continuing to listen to one another and having the tough conversations around the issues that matter the most. That’s what the Disagree Better initiative is all about.

As vice chair of the National Governors Association, I work alongside the chair, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, on this important effort. It’s not about agreeing on every issue. For instance Gov. Cox and I can’t seem to agree on which state has better skiing, even though it’s obviously Colorado, but it’s about how we can disagree better.

This is something that Colorado is particularly good at, but these skills are often challenged both between and within our own political parties, especially as we feel the vitriol of national politics.

Two Democratic lawmakers resigned from the House in December, citing the vitriolic atmosphere. A third was reprimanded by the House speaker earlier this week for her behavior during the special legislative session in November.

Too often it can feel that our disagreements are what define us, and that the gap can seem daunting and too big to close.

As Arthur C. Brooks wrote, “almost no one is ever insulted into agreement.” That’s a very important lesson. As highlighted by our leaders yesterday — President Fenberg, Speaker McCluskie — in their opening day remarks, when we lose that ability to listen to one another we see the cracks in our democracy and civil society widen, and we let opportunities pass us by.

The Senate president and House speaker deliver remarks to start each lawmaking term at the Colorado Capitol. This year, their speeches were more focused on trying to improve the Capitol culture than the Democratic majority’s policy agenda.

Let me be clear: this isn’t just some feel-good initiative or hollow exercise.

Our very democracy depends on people being able to disagree with one another —passionately, emphatically — and still being able to work together with mutual respect, with dignity.

When that’s no longer possible, when policy arguments become personal attacks, and when people start to paint the other side not as colleagues who happen to disagree, but as enemies, we’re entering very dangerous territory.

Here in this building we’ve seen how listening to one another and having thoughtful conversations can impact our relationships and create better policies for our state.

We share the same goals for a strong Colorado, so let’s use these next four months to really work together — to disagree better, to show the nation how it’s done. The Colorado way.

This work isn’t easy. The baby’s back, good. If this work were easy, it would’ve been done already.

The lieutenant governor’s grandchild apparently let out another cry.

But here in Colorado, we dream, we dare and we do.

And this year we choose once again to tackle what is hard — what truly challenges us, as President Kennedy said: “not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard.”

So as we prepare for the year ahead, know that the State of our State is strong. When we work together, when we disagree better, nothing is beyond our reach.

The governor didn’t mention the influx of migrants to Colorado during his speech. The situation is draining Denver’s budget and the legislature is likely to consider — or be pressured to consider —ways to help.

Thank you, God bless you all. God bless Colorado. And God bless the United States of America.

Colorado Sun staff writers Michael Booth, John Ingold and Tamara Chuang contributed to this report, as did editors Lance Benzel and Dana Coffield.