The Sum & Substance

06/05/2026

Is this shift discussion of emissions to debate about energy affordability a new paradigm at the Colorado Capitol or just a blip?

Rather than debate utilities getting to net-zero emissions or put guardrails on natural-gas usage, legislators talked energy affordability.

06/04/2026

"We should be championing, not deterring, opportunities for Coloradans to save money," Governor Jared Polis said:

In veto letters, Gov. Jared Polis wrote that the bills could have harmed the very consumers that they espoused they wanted to help.

06/02/2026

What role can Colorado employers play in implementing the 232 action plans coming from last year's regional talent summits? Find out in this week's podcast:

Two workforce-development leaders discuss how 232 actions recommended at the 2025 regional talent summits now will become new career pathways.

06/01/2026

Even as the $1.5B budget shortfall killed most tax-break proposals, legislators deemed these two so important that they needed to continue them:

One bill offers tax credits for companies creating 20 new jobs. The other gives tax breaks to Coloradans donating to childcare providers.

05/29/2026

Next up: Business leaders will sit down with educators and government officials to design this new "one-stop shop":

The bill tasks a commission with combining Colorado's higher-education and workforce-development initiatives into one new agency.

05/28/2026

Compared to the past two sessions, legislative Democrats had a harder time pushing bills to boost housing construction. Here's why:

Housing will be easier to build around transit hubs and on certain properties, but not necessarily in established neighborhoods.

05/28/2026

A 127% fee increase is not something that any business takes lightly. Yet commerce leaders said they were willing to pay it — if permitting gets more efficient:

Certain fees will rise as much as 127% beginning in July for emissions producers ranging from utilities to oil-and-gas companies.

05/22/2026

Still trying to catch up on everything that happened during the 2026 legislative session? Here's a (relatively) quick overview of the major business bills that were debated:

Business groups stopped bills they deemed harmful and passed several proactive measures in a legislative session they should remember fondly.

05/21/2026

A big thanks to Rocky Mountain PBS and to Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology for asking me to be part of Tuesday's panel discussion on pathways to aviation careers.

05/21/2026

This was supposed to be an innovative way for legislators to fill the budget gap. The targets of these tax-credit sales, however, have said they are not interested:

A new bill widens the crowd of businesses that can buy the previously allowed tax credits for insurers and C corporations.