DENVER — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis highlighted housing, transit, public safety and other priorities in his State of the State speech Thursday at the Capitol.
Polis spoke for about an hour, laying out for the state legislature his priorities over the coming year.
> Watch a replay of the address in the video player below.
Here are some of the topics the governor highlighted in his address.
Housing
Polis called rent and mortgage costs “a matter of statewide concern,” calling for the creation of housing “that Coloradans at all income levels can rent or buy in the communities where they want to live and near job opportunities.”
He called on the legislature to make the Senior Homestead Exemption portable. He also said he supports giving homeowners “the property rights and financial tools they need” to build accessory dwelling units. He also called for an end to “discriminatory occupancy limits that especially hurt renters.”
“This session, I will be supportive of bills that reduce the cost of housing and encourage innovative approaches, like new financing strategies, easing parking restrictions, tackling liability costs for multi-family condo construction, reducing the cost of fire insurance – especially in the face of increasing climate-related disasters like the Marshall Fire, which we just observed the second anniversary of – and I will be very skeptical of bills that would increase the cost of housing,” the governor said.
Public transit
Alongside housing, the governor highlighted a need for “accessible and reliable transportation options.”
“This year, I’m excited about a proposal in my budget that will help local governments build housing infrastructure in more transit-oriented neighborhoods by addressing construction hurdles like access to water; aging sewer and stormwater systems; and by increasing opportunities for walking, biking, busing and all forms of transportation,” he said.
The governor called for advancements in passenger rail, saying, “Coloradans love the idea.”
He called for the addition of daily passenger rail service between Denver and mountain communities, and between Union Station and Boulder, Loveland and Fort Collins. He also called for a more expansive statewide bus system and enhancements to the Regional Transportation District and other local transit agencies.
Public safety
The governor touted a downward trend in violent crime and a decrease in car thefts over the past year.
He called on the legislature to help protect nonprofits and religious institutions, like temples and mosques, that are facing a higher risk of targeted violence.
Polis discussed efforts to reduce gun violence, saying, “Whether it’s strengthening our red flag law, establishing waiting periods, requiring safe storage of firearms in homes where kids are present, or banning ghost guns, we are a model for the nation in practical, commonsense solutions to the problem of gun violence, while protecting our cherished Second Amendment rights.”
He called on leaders to do more to prevent convicted felons from illegally purchasing guns.
> From Colorado Politics: Colorado senators focus on mental health, illegal firearms, tax incentives in first bills
Education and workforce
The governor outlined his universal preschool program and other education programs. He also discussed steps the state has taken to expand free community and technical college and develop career training pathways and programs. He said the administration wants to increase the number of state government apprenticeships by 50% and support the creation of 100 new apprenticeship opportunities in the private sector by June 30.
“These actions translate to more jobs where Coloradans can earn while they learn, more money saved on education or training, more candidates for available jobs, stronger businesses, and a stronger Colorado economy,” Polis said.
Health care
The governor urged the FDA to approve the state’s application to import lower-cost prescription drugs. He proposed more support for people who provide home-based care, and better access to mental and behavioral health care.
He also touched on abortion access in the state, saying, “we appreciate the steps the General Assembly has taken to protect personal reproductive health decisions, including abortion."
Environment
Polis discussed the state’s work on clean energy and pollution reduction and called for more resources for those types of projects.
He also touched on conservation, water resources and the reintroduction of grey wolves.
“We are strengthening native biodiversity and restoring balance to our ecosystems by bringing back native species like the Canada Lynx, the black-footed ferret, and as of mid-December, we successfully met the voter-mandated deadline for reintroduction of gray wolves,” the governor said. “We also need to protect that progress by continuing to invest in non-lethal conflict minimization to help our farmers and ranchers thrive."
Economy
Discussing economic policy, the governor focused on TABOR and property and income tax rates.
“As demonstrated by our healthy surplus in Colorado, taxes are simply too high: income taxes, property taxes and the state sales tax,” Polis said. “We ignore that signal at our own peril, and I challenge Democrats and Republicans to work together to improve our economic growth and success by not taking taxes we can’t keep from people and instead working on a bold, balanced, progressive package, including cutting the income tax rate.”
RELATED: Democratic leadership in State Capitol to deal with division, policy issues returning from break
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Politics