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State of the State: 2025 vs 2026
Governor Jared Polis -- comparing priorities year over year
A Farewell Address vs. a Policy Agenda: Governor Polis's Shift from 2025 to 2026
Governor Polis's 2025 State of the State was a focused, forward-looking policy address centered on housing affordability, public safety, education, and cost of living. His 2026 address, by contrast, is his final State of the State, and it functions as both a retrospective on seven years of accomplishments and a much broader, more politically charged speech responding to the drastically changed federal landscape under the Trump administration. While housing, education, and public safety remain present in both years, the 2026 speech introduces several entirely new issue areas and frames many recurring topics through the lens of defending Colorado against federal policy threats.
The most dramatic shift is the prominence of federal conflict. In 2025, there was virtually no mention of Washington. In 2026, Polis dedicates extensive attention to what he characterizes as over $1 billion in threatened federal funding, the impact of HR 1 on gutting the state budget, Trump's tariffs costing Coloradans an estimated $1,700 per year, denied disaster relief for the Lee and Elk fires, and the cancellation of $29 million in safety grants. He credits Attorney General Weiser's office with defending nearly $900 million in federal funds. This adversarial federal posture reshapes the entire tone of the speech, with Polis explicitly calling out Washington Republicans as "the party of socialism, overreach, and intrusion" and defending immigrants and refugees in a lengthy values-driven passage absent from 2025.
New substantive policy areas emerge in 2026 that were entirely absent in 2025. These include transit and passenger rail (with Mountain Passenger Rail service from Denver to Granby launching in roughly a year), homeowners insurance reform (costs up 91% since 2019), health care system critique (calling for universal health care and highlighting nearly $3 billion in savings), clean energy and environmental policy, workforce consolidation into a single department, wildfire preparedness, gun violence prevention, and the proposed conversion of Pinnacol to fund the $200 million senior homestead exemption. The 2026 speech also introduces the HOME Act to build housing on underutilized institutional land and RTD governance reform.
Education and public safety remain in both speeches but with notably different emphasis. In 2025, education was framed around future commitments — fully funding K-12 and making college free. In 2026, the focus is retrospective and data-rich: per-pupil funding rising from $8,000 to nearly $12,000, preschool enrollment jumping from 27th to 3rd nationally, and 98% kindergarten participation. On public safety, 2025 proposed $7.6 million for youth detention beds and specific new funding grants; 2026 reports results — violent crime down 13%, property crime down 18%, auto theft down 61% — and pivots to new concerns like political violence, extremism monitoring, competency-to-stand-trial gaps, and Proposition 130's $15 million for local law enforcement. The 2025 emphasis on youth detention funding and emergency dispatch upgrades is not repeated.
New Priorities in 2026
- +Extensive focus on defending Colorado against federal policy threats, including over $1 billion in threatened funding, HR 1 budget impacts, denied disaster relief, and tariffs estimated to cost Coloradans $1,700 per year.
- +Homeowners insurance reform to address costs that have risen 91% since 2019, including making hail-resistant roofs more affordable and reducing fire risks to lower premiums.
- +Mountain Passenger Rail service from Denver to Craig, with first routes from Denver to Granby launching approximately one year from now, plus Front Range Passenger Rail from Denver to Fort Collins.
- +Health care system overhaul rhetoric, citing nearly $3 billion in savings achieved, calling for universal health care, criticizing hospitals charging '$5,000 for an ice pack,' and warning that Medicaid growth is unsustainable alongside other budget priorities.
- +Proposed conversion of Pinnacol to generate $200 million in one-time funding to fulfill the senior homestead exemption promise.
- +The HOME Act to unlock housing by partnering with higher education, nonprofits, transit agencies, school districts, and housing authorities to build on underutilized land.
- +Creation of a unified workforce department as a one-stop-shop, consolidating over 110 programs across seven departments and 20 divisions.
- +Clean energy and environmental policy, including progress toward 100% clean electricity, oil and gas regulatory reform, Colorado Water Plan with $127 million in new funding, pollinator protections, and pine beetle outbreak mitigation.
- +Robust defense of immigrant and refugee communities, with explicit statements that '75% of people held in immigration detention centers have no criminal history' and that families fear going to work or school.
- +RTD governance reform to achieve a 'world-class metro area transit agency' through governance changes, accountability, and transparency.
- +Addressing competency-to-stand-trial gaps for individuals charged with crimes who cannot stand trial, with supplemental budget funding for secure placements and bipartisan legislation.
- +Monitoring and protecting against political violence and extremism, included in the balanced budget proposal.
- +Auto insurance reform through the Roadmap to Reduce Auto Insurance Premiums, noting Colorado has the 5th highest rates nationally.
- +AI policy framework to maintain Colorado's position as a leading state for artificial intelligence while protecting consumers.
- +Electric vehicle policy refinement, noting growth from 18,000 to 204,000 EVs and proposing to direct savings to lower-cost EVs.
- +Wildlife crossings doubled to over 70 statewide, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions by 90%.
- +Expansion of state parks and wildlife areas by over 90,000 acres and creation of $120 million in new annual funding for public lands conservation.
Dropped from 2025
- −The $7.6 million budget proposal to increase bed capacity for youth detention and provide services for at-risk youth was not mentioned in 2026.
- −Strengthening the emergency dispatch system to ensure first responders can respond without delay, a specific 2025 proposal, was absent in 2026.
- −The specific $2 million in public safety and crisis intervention grants and $3 million for crime prevention referenced in 2025 were not mentioned in 2026.
- −Explicit emphasis on harsher penalties for gun theft as a standalone priority was not repeated in 2026, though firearm theft being made a felony was noted as an accomplishment.
Shifted Emphasis
- ↔Housing shifted from a primarily deregulatory focus in 2025 (ADUs, occupancy limits, modular housing, smart stair apartments) to a broader agenda in 2026 adding the HOME Act for institutional land, homeowners insurance reform (91% cost increase), Pinnacol conversion for senior homestead exemption funding, subdivision reforms, and housing near transit investment.
- ↔Public safety moved from a forward-looking investment agenda in 2025 ($7.6M for youth beds, dispatch upgrades, new grants) to a results-oriented retrospective in 2026 (violent crime down 13%, auto theft down 61%, catalytic converter theft down 95%) plus new concerns about political violence, competency-to-stand-trial gaps, and federal safety grant cancellations.
- ↔Education shifted from a future-oriented policy agenda in 2025 (fully funding K-12, free college, innovative pathways) to a retrospective celebration of accomplishments in 2026 (per-pupil funding from $8,000 to $12,000, preschool enrollment from 27th to 3rd nationally, 98% kindergarten participation), with less emphasis on new education initiatives.
- ↔Cost of living framing shifted dramatically from a state-focused agenda in 2025 (housing, transportation, education affordability) to a combative posture against federal actions in 2026, with tariffs, HR 1 budget cuts, eliminated TABOR refunds, and threatened Medicaid/SNAP funding framed as the primary threats to affordability.
- ↔The tone shifted from a concise, policy-specific address in 2025 to a sweeping valedictory speech in 2026, heavy on retrospective accomplishments, pop culture references, personal anecdotes, and an explicit values framework ('Colorado for All') in response to the federal political environment.
Policy Topics Addressed
Affordability
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%.
Agriculture
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.
Economy & Jobs
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.
Education
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.
Environment & Energy
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.
Government Reform
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.
Healthcare
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.
Housing
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.
Immigration
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.
Infrastructure
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%.
Public Safety
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.
Social Services
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.
Tax & Budget
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.
Technology
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.
Veterans & Military
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.