The Colorado legislature reconvened January 14, and Democrats controlling both chambers wasted no time serving the dark money donors funding their campaigns. Union bosses, climate organizations, gun control groups, and housing activists write the checks. Senate President James Coleman and House Speaker Julie McCluskie write the bills. Colorado taxpayers and local governments pay the price.
Within days of convening, Democrats introduced legislation expanding government spending during an $850 million budget deficit, imposing price controls on businesses, stripping local zoning authority, and resurrecting union legislation Governor Polis already vetoed. This is just the first week of a 120-day session. The worst bills come later when deadline pressure forces passage without scrutiny.
While headlines focused on immigration enforcement attacks and transgender custody provisions, Democrats quietly advanced legislation revealing who they actually serve—not constituents struggling with costs, but special interests demanding action regardless of economic reality.
Union Power Despite Veto
House Bill 1005 resurrects legislation Governor Polis vetoed eight months ago. Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon and Representative Javier Mabrey, both Denver Democrats, reintroduced the Worker Protection Act eliminating Colorado’s second election requirement for union security agreements. Colorado is the only state requiring workers vote separately on mandatory union dues.
Polis vetoed identical legislation in May 2025, demanding “major changes” and labor-business compromise. Democrats reintroduced it unchanged. Polis announced he’ll veto again. Twenty-six House Democrats and twelve Senate Democrats co-sponsored anyway, ensuring credit with union donors while guaranteeing failure. The bill removes the one meaningful check on union power while forcing employers into “good faith bargaining.” Individual workers lose their voice. Union bosses win.
Government Price Controls
House Bill 1012 brings price controls to Colorado disguised as consumer protection. Representatives Yara Zokaie and Kyle Brown prohibit “unreasonably excessive prices” to “captive consumers”—anyone without “realistic alternatives.” Bureaucrats decide what’s excessive. Government lawyers determine whether alternatives exist.
Airport vendors, mountain town stores, and specialized service providers become vulnerable. Businesses will exit markets rather than face arbitrary enforcement under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. Consumers lose options in areas already facing limited choices.
Gun Confiscation Expansion
Senate Bill 4 expands who can petition courts to confiscate guns without criminal charges. Senator Tom Sullivan and Representative Meg Froelich add healthcare facilities, behavioral health facilities, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, plus individual healthcare professionals, mental health professionals, and co-responders to the list.
Colorado’s 2019 “red flag” law limited petitions to family and law enforcement. Democrats now want teachers and counselors enforcing gun confiscation. A biased administrator or activist counselor gains power to strip Second Amendment rights based on subjective risk assessment—no criminal conviction required. The strategy is incremental: establish the framework, then expand until confiscation becomes routine administrative action.
Local Control Destruction
House Bill 1001 strips local zoning authority under affordable housing pretense. Governor Polis personally championed the HOME Act at a press conference. The bill lets schools, nonprofits, and transit districts build housing “regardless of local zoning.” Developments under three stories or 45 feet cannot be denied. Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, Representative Javier Mabrey, and Senators Tony Exum and Julie Gonzales sponsor it.
The Colorado Municipal League immediately opposed the measure, arguing it “undermines the rights of local communities to make decisions for themselves and could violate the constitutional self-governance powers of home rule cities.” Communities lose power to consider infrastructure capacity, neighborhood character, or resident input. The state mandates density. Democrats created the housing crisis through overregulation; their solution eliminates local accountability entirely.
Energy Cost Increases
Senate Bill 2 creates the Fair Affordable Reliable Energy program providing subsidized electricity to “income-qualified customers” at marginal cost rates. Senators Cathy Kipp and Tony Exum claim implementation “must not directly increase the cost of utility services for other customers.” Someone pays for subsidies—non-subsidized ratepayers.
Senate Bill 3 expands the Battery Stewardship Act to electric vehicle batteries, putting the Department of Public Health and Environment’s Hazardous Waste Division in charge of end-of-life management. Senators Katie Wallace and Lisa Cutter impose new regulatory frameworks meaning compliance costs passed to consumers.
House Bill 1007 removes “barriers” to plug-in solar for apartments and shared spaces. Representatives Lesley Smith and Rebekah Stewart, with Senator Kipp, call this affordability policy. Last month Colorado regulators ordered utilities to meet aggressive natural gas reduction targets. Xcel Energy warned implementation “will increase customer costs.” Black Hills Energy reported 90% of natural gas customers value choosing their energy source. Democrats prioritize climate donors over actual affordability.
Spending During Crisis
Senate Bill 1 expands government spending authority while Democrats claim budget crisis. Senator Dylan Roberts allows counties to use property tax revenue for workforce housing and housing authorities—currently prohibited to protect taxpayers.
Business Elimination
House Bill 1011 eliminates pet stores selling dogs or cats. Beginning January 1, 2027, stores can only provide space for rescue adoptions without collecting fees—work for free or exit. The bill defines “brokers” as anyone selling pets bred by another person for profit. Government decides which legal businesses operate. Sales move online or to private breeders with less oversight.
What’s Coming
Democrats control both legislative chambers with large majorities. Polis is term-limited. Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Attorney General Phil Weiser, and others position for the governor’s race needing progressive credentials and donor cash. Opening day Democrats announced “no plans to compromise with the Trump Administration”—signaling aggressive positioning for out-of-state funders.
These bills represent one week. Democrats historically introduce controversial measures in March and April when time constraints prevent effective opposition. The 120-day session runs through May 13. Four months remain for legislation designed to impress organizations flooding Colorado politics with outside money demanding union power, climate mandates, gun control, and local control override.
The immigration lawsuit bill and transgender custody provisions generate outrage by design—serving as distraction while Democrats advance economic and regulatory agendas that strip local authority, empower bureaucrats, drive up costs, and eliminate businesses. Coleman, McCluskie, and their Democratic majorities have four months and donor demands to satisfy. Watch what they introduce when nobody’s looking.
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. 