7 Good Bills, 8 Bad Bills
February 9-13, 2026
The legislature introduced 13 bills and acted on two others during the four-day week ending February 13. Committee votes revealed Democratic divisions on housing policy and continued pressure on labor law despite a 2025 gubernatorial veto.
The House Finance Committee killed HB26-1036 on February 10 by a 7-4 vote when three Democrats joined Republicans to postpone indefinitely a bill authorizing counties and municipalities to tax vacant residential properties. Representatives Sean Camacho of Denver, Rebekah Stewart of Lakewood, and Bob Marshall of Highlands Ranch provided decisive votes against the measure, which would have left “vacant” undefined and allowed local governments to determine time thresholds. Summit County’s vacancy rate reaches 61%, compared to 4% on the Front Range.
The House Finance Committee advanced HB26-1005 on February 12 by a 10-1 vote. The Worker Protection Act repeals Colorado’s 1943 requirement for a 75% worker supermajority before unions can collect mandatory dues from non-members. Governor Jared Polis vetoed nearly identical legislation in 2025, calling the reintroduction “frustrating.”
Democrats introduced six bills addressing public safety and civil rights. The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced SB26-004 on a 6-1 vote, expanding who can petition courts for Extreme Risk Protection Orders to include healthcare facilities, behavioral health facilities, K-12 schools, and universities. This follows 2023 expansions to district attorneys, healthcare professionals, and educators. SB26-097 would decriminalize five prostitution offenses under C.R.S. 18-7-201 through 18-7-206 and preempt local ordinances. SB26-005 creates a state civil cause of action for constitutional violations during immigration enforcement. SB26-018 creates civil liability for disclosing a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation without consent. SB26-043 requires firearm barrel transfers through licensed dealers with five-year records. SB26-070 received equal bipartisan sponsorship from four Democrats and four Republicans, prohibiting warrantless government access to databases containing license plate data, facial recognition data, or cell site location information.
Republicans introduced seven bills on criminal penalties, medical procedures, and firearms. HB26-1082 creates a Class 1 felony with life without parole for child sex trafficking. HB26-1085 requires offering pregnant women a form documenting abortion preferences during medical emergencies. HB26-1087 prohibits healthcare providers from performing gender transition procedures on minors. HB26-1021 declares federal firearm laws null and void in Colorado under the Tenth Amendment. HB26-1072 repeals C.R.S. 13-14.5-101 through 13-14.5-114, Colorado’s ERPO statute. HB26-1128 extends the statute of limitations for medical malpractice claims related to detransition until age 26. HB26-1083 prohibits biological males from participating in women’s athletics.
The legislation raises constitutional questions across multiple amendments. Bills cite or implicate the Supremacy Clause on federal preemption, Fourth Amendment protections under Carpenter v. United States (2018) against warrantless location tracking, Second Amendment scope per District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), Tenth Amendment limits on federal authority per Printz v. United States (1997), Fourteenth Amendment parental rights under Troxel v. Granville (2000), and First Amendment privacy protections.
SB26-070’s equal bipartisan support contrasts sharply with partisan splits on other firearms and civil rights measures. The vacant homes tax failure marks the first significant Democratic fracture on housing policy this session. The Worker Protection Act’s advancement despite Polis’s 2025 veto demonstrates sustained Democratic labor priorities over gubernatorial concerns.
Bill count: 15 total (8 Democratic, 7 Republican) Committee action: SB26-004 advanced, HB26-1036 killed, HB26-1005 advanced Notable: Democratic split on property taxation, labor bill advances despite prior veto
Support Independent Local Journalism — High Country Advocate was created as a real alternative to regional media that too often silences dissenting voices while taking sides in the political struggle. Producing in-depth, unflinching reporting like this series and others is expensive: servers, editing, research time, and legal review all add up quickly. If these articles have informed you or given you new perspective, please consider supporting HCA with a paid subscription — every subscriber helps keep this reporting strong and independent.
