DENVER - Today, Governor Polis stood before the Colorado General Assembly to deliver his final State of the State Address as Governor of Colorado. Governor Polis discussed the historic progress made during the last 7 years, including through some of the most unprecedented modern times, and charted a bold path forward to deliver on the issues Coloradans care about most during his final year in office.
“Seven years ago, I joined you all in delivering my first State of the State address and shared what an honor it is to be your Governor. In the time since, forces beyond us have shaped our reality — a once-in-a-century pandemic, widespread inflation, the biggest and most destructive fires in our state’s history, an unpredictable federal landscape,” said Governor Jared Polis.
“But despite it all, we faced our challenges head on, never losing sight of our values and what makes us who we are. The state of our state is strong. Resilient. Loving. Kind. Innovative. Free. And ever bright with the promise of a Colorado for All.”
In his State of the State Address, the Governor spoke about Colorado’s bold progress on the issues Coloradans care about most, including saving people money by lowering the cost of housing. Governor Polis celebrated Colorado’s nation-leading work to break government barriers that block new homes, and discussed a vision for more action to continue this important work and save Coloradans money.
“Coloradans – of all political stripes, in every part of our state – tell us that the high cost of housing makes it harder to live in the Colorado we love. For too long, we’ve run up against roadblocks – from outdated laws to piles of paperwork – that slow or stop new housing, new transit, and new clean energy from even being built. The more we do here to bring down costs, the more opportunity opens up for Coloradans in the ways that matter most – where we live, and how we spend our time and money,” said Governor Polis.
Building on Colorado’s recent progress, which allowed Coloradans the freedom to build an ADU on your property, expanded access to housing near transit and job centers, legalized single or smart stair apartments, encouraged innovative modular housing, jumpstarted condo construction, and more, Governor Polis called on the legislature to continue this work. Governor Polis encouraged the legislature to open the door to more housing on unused or underutilized land owned by higher education, nonprofits, transit agencies, school districts, and housing authorities, allow Coloradans to subdivide your property, and tackle skyrocketing homeowners insurance costs.
Governor Polis also highlighted Colorado’s efforts to defend the state from an increasingly punitive federal government, defending millions of dollars from being cancelled or withheld, and outlined the devastating impacts Washington is having on Colorado through HR1.
Governor Polis doubled down on Colorado’s commitment to making Colorado one of the top ten safest states and celebrated the progress Colorado has made through smart and data-driven investments in law enforcement and crime prevention strategies, which have produced strong results.
“When I set the bold goal to make Colorado one of the ten safest states in the nation, we got right to work taking data-driven, common-sense steps to prevent crime in the first place, better equip law enforcement, and crack down on crime. We’re seeing real progress. A new report from our Division of Criminal Justice shows that in the past year, violent crime is down over 13%. Property crime is down nearly 18%, representing nearly 14,000 fewer crimes. Through targeted investments and increased penalties, we’ve achieved a 61% decrease in auto theft in the last four years, including a 34% drop in the last year alone. In a single year, we’ve seen a 95% decline in catalytic converter theft in Denver. Looking ahead, there is more work to be done to ensure all Coloradans can thrive in safe communities,” said Governor Polis during his address.
Governor Polis also spoke about his commitment to fully funding our schools and preparing students for success both through historic classroom investment and expanding access to new career pathways that lead to in-demand high-paying jobs. Governor Polis recently announced actions to streamline workforce services from the state to better connect students with the resources needed to get good jobs.
“A good education gives students a head start right out of the box, and high-quality skills and workforce development help Coloradans cross home plate to a good job. That is why we are calling for a unified department to serve as a one-stop shop for Coloradans to access high-quality skills, training, and education,” said Governor Polis during his address.
Read the full text of the speech as prepared for delivery and watch the full speech on the Governor’s Facebook page.
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