Gov. Jared Polis joined business leaders from across Colorado at the Denver Art Museum for the Denver Gazette and Colorado Politics’ annual business roundtable event.
Polis gave an abridged version of his State of the State address, then answered questions from a panel led by Gazette and Colorado Politics editor Luige del Puerto.
When asked about how he plans to work with the Trump administration, Polis said he was prepared to collaborate on policies he believed would positively impact Colorado, but he isn’t afraid to stand up for the state when he has disagreements.
Having served as governor since 2019, Polis said he has worked under the Trump administration before and is ready to do so again.
“We are always gonna work with any administration in Washington where we can to advance our interests as a state to make Colorado safer and more affordable,” Polis said. “I’m also never afraid to take on anybody if their policies are bad for Colorado.”
Polis’ top priority for the remainder of his term is tackling affordability, particularly in housing. He said his administration is working to balance the state’s rapid growth while preserving the things that make Colorado special.
Polis signed several bills last session aimed at improving housing affordability in the state, including measures to allow accessory dwelling units, creating more multifamily zoning near transit, and eliminating minimum parking requirements.
“Like anything, the price of housing is a function of supply and demand,” he said. “It’s great that demand is high; people want to live in Colorado, jobs are strong and supply has been artificially constrained, which is why the costs have turned up. So in Colorado, we want to say yes to more housing, yes to unlocking prosperity, and yes to opportunity for Coloradans in every budget.”
Education has also been a top concern for Polis throughout his tenure as governor. In 2023, he launched the state’s first universal preschool program, which he considers his proudest achievement in office. As chair of the National Governor’s Association, he launched the Let’s Get Ready initiative, which focuses on preparing students for the workforce.
Polis commended the General Assembly for passing a bipartisan bill last session that provides two free years of community college for families making $90,000 or less, as well as partnerships between local businesses and community colleges that provide vocational programs to students.
Polis also faced questions about immigration reform, including protections for DACA recipients and creating legal pathways to citizenship.
“It’s a better question for our congressional friends,” Polis said, referring to the state’s congressional delegation of eight representatives and senators. “[Immigration reform] has been elusive for our country since I believe 1984, and it doesn’t get better by itself. It creates all sorts of problems for people, for businesses, for our country, and it’s long overdue. So we have to remain ever hopeful, and I will continue to push for it.”
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