DENVER - Today, Governor Polis and Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera reflected on the achievements made during 2024, and look ahead to another great year delivering results for Coloradans in 2025.
“I am proud of our progress this year to make Colorado the best state to live, work, play, and raise a family. This past year our administration expanded housing options that Coloradans can afford; saved Coloradans money on everything from education to the largest income and property tax cut in Colorado history, and more; built on our work to make Colorado one of the ten safest states and further reduce crime, and we’re not done yet. I am excited to build on Colorado’s success this past year and head into 2025 even stronger,” said Governor Polis.
During his 2024 State of the State address in January, Governor Polis outlined a bold agenda around breaking down artificial barriers to housing that increase costs, expanding transit opportunities, reducing taxes for Coloradans, continuing to make Colorado safer, and more. Over the last year, Governor Polis, in partnership with the legislature, has made major progress on each of those goals for Colorado.
“This year showed the power of collaboration and our shared commitment to improving the lives of every Coloradan,” said Lt. Governor Dianne Primavera and the Director of the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care. “I’ve seen firsthand how our efforts to lower healthcare costs, expand affordable housing, improve access to education, and foster economic opportunity have made a meaningful difference for individuals and communities across our state. I look forward to building on this progress in 2025 as we continue creating a Colorado for all.”
Creating More Housing Coloradans Can Afford
Governor Polis is committed to saving money for Coloradans by creating more housing Coloradans can afford near transit options and job centers. This year Governor Polis delivered results on this vision to build more housing now and save Coloradans money, signing legislation that:
Gives Coloradans the freedom to build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on their own property
Allows seniors to make the choice to downsize without risking their tax exemptions
Supports funding for housing near transit and housing that people can afford
Ensures that the state is planning for the future and working together so that Colorado grows sustainably and affordably for future generations
Discourages frivolous lawsuits that unnecessarily delay housing opportunities
Eliminates unnecessary parking requirements that increase housing costs
Expanding Transit to Save Coloradans Money
Affordable, convenient, and reliable transit options are critical to saving people time and money, reducing congestion on our roads and highways, and protecting our clean air. This year, Governor Polis released the Colorado Transportation Vision: 2035 setting bold new goals and strategies to increase transportation options and signed laws to expand access to low-cost transit that will help Coloradans get where they need to go by:
Funding clean transportation and public land restoration and conservation across the state through production fees on oil & gas
Strengthening pollution reduction and air quality goals to protect our environment
Creating funding for Front Range Passenger Rail and Mountain Rail to connect our communities and protect our clean air
Making public transit free for youth and supporting Zero Fare for Cleaner Air, which increases public transit ridership, protects our air, and saves Coloradans money
Investing in Colorado Students and Educators While Saving Families Money
Investing in students helps set all Coloradans up for success while strengthening our state’s economic future. Governor Polis is committed to providing every Colorado student with a high-quality education that prepares them with the tools to succeed starting with Free Universal Preschool through college and apprenticeships. Under Governor Polis’s leadership and in partnership with the legislature this year, Colorado:
Grew from 26th to 7th in preschool enrollment nationally, serving more than 85,000 eligible four-year-olds through the program’s second year of implementation, saving families with preschoolers over $6000
Fully funded Colorado schools by eliminating the Budget Stabilization Factor
Updated the school finance formula for the first time in 30 years, creating a more student-focused way to fund our schools
Made Coloradans’ first two years at a public four-year institution, or local community or technical college free for families earning up to $90,000 per year
Created Colorado’s third medical school and strengthened Colorado’s healthcare and veterinarian workforces to help Coloradans and their pets get the care they need
Cutting Taxes and Saving Coloradans Money
Governor Polis is committed to cutting Coloradan's income and property taxes to save Coloradans and families money. This year Governor Polis took action to:
End the property tax wars and save Coloradans money on their property taxes, providing certainty for Coloradans and businesses
Cut the income and eventually sales tax rates for Coloradans
Provide families with refundable tax credits to help them thrive in Colorado
Increase the Earned Income Tax Credit to support working families and allowed our homestead tax exemption to be portable to help save more seniors money on their homes
Provide support to critical child care and health care workers
Making Colorado One of the Ten Safest States
Governor Polis is committed to making Colorado one of the top ten safest states, and Colorado has seen declining property and violent crime rates over the last two years. This year Governor Polis took action to:
Give the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the tools it needs to stop illegal gun activity across the state
Create gun-free schools and other public spaces
Allow law enforcement to identify concerning firearm purchases before tragedies occur
Reduce auto-theft with $8 million in funding going toward these plans in the state budget
100% Renewable Energy by 2040 and Protecting Colorado’s Future
Colorado is on track to achieve 100% renewable and clean energy by 2040, and continues pursuing strategies that save Coloradans money and protect the state's precious resources.
Governor Polis brokered a historic agreement between oil and gas companies, environmental advocates, and the legislature to make major progress in air quality and ozone protection
Colorado’s EV Tax Credit has saved Coloradans thousands every year, leading to Colorado passing California and becoming #1 in EV Sales
Colorado is deploying state and federal incentives to help homeowners, renters, and Colorado businesses adopt electric heat pumps, geothermal energy, EV charging, and other rebates and tax credits
The state is empowering local communities to save Coloradans money by adopting efficient alternatives to natural gas, such as geothermal heating and cooling, thermal energy networks, and heat pumps
Governor Polis took steps to break down barriers and reduce costs to build a more resilient and affordable grid and expand access to reliable electricity across the economy
Colorado has cut through red tape to support local and tribal governments and industry with the siting and permitting of renewable energy projects
Governor Polis doubled down on his commitment to secure Colorado’s water future by ensuring Colorado’s access to clean water
Leader in Technology and Innovation
Colorado is setting its sights on continuing to invest in new technologies and prove that quantum is better in the West.
Colorado was designated as the Quantum Tech Hub and chosen to receive $40.5 million in funding by the Economic Development Administration. This funding and designation continue driving Colorado’s leadership in quantum and is projected to create 30,000 new jobs over the next 10 years, 80% of which do not require an advanced degree
Governor Polis signed legislation to provide $74 million dollars for fully refundable quantum tax credits
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