Colorado lawmakers representing rural resort communities say they will pursue bills to increase affordable housing, aid ranchers impacted by wolves and protect outdoor workers in the legislative session that begins this week. 

But any future policies will also need to be balanced with a projected $750 million shortfall in the state budget, with legislators signaling they will favor bills that don’t require new spending. 

“If members are bringing forward bills that have a price tag, that will be challenging for us,” said House Speaker Julie McCluskie (D-Dillon) during a press call with state Democrats on Monday. 

---

---

Factors like dried-up COVID-19 pandemic-era federal funding, a slew of recent tax cuts and an aging population that is forcing the state to spend more on Medicaid are all contributing to the budget deficit. 

And while the state’s economy remains robust, limits placed on government revenue by the 1992 voter-approved Taxpayer’s Bill or Rights “really prevents us from capturing all of the revenue we bring in to utilize for these needs,” McCluskie said. 

---

---

Getting to a balanced budget is likely to be the top priority for lawmakers this session. Here’s what else the legislature could be juggling in 2025: 

Affordable housing 

The lack of affordable housing and escalating cost of living in rural resort areas remain top issues for Western Slope lawmakers.

Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco) said the first bill he intends to introduce this session will be aimed at lowering construction costs for developers of for-sale affordable homes, like Habitat for Humanity. The proposal will be to use existing funds from the Colorado Treasurer’s Office to provide bonds to developers to help buy down building costs and loans for construction. 

While communities are continuing to build more income-based rental properties, Roberts said there is a need for more homeownership opportunities that allow people to “buy into their community and potentially start building generational wealth.”

Rep. Meghan Lukens (D-Steamboat Springs) said she plans to introduce a bill to allow school districts to lease district-owned property indefinitely. 

While the proposal was born out of a desire for the Eagle County School District to lease land for solar gardens, Lukens said the legislation would help districts unlock land for a host of community needs, like affordable housing. 

Democratic lawmakers last session made housing a cornerstone of their legislative agenda, approving a package of sweeping land-use reform bills mainly aimed at increasing housing density along the Front Range. 

Those measures, however, largely excluded ski towns amid worries that a mandate for increased development wouldn’t necessarily translate to more affordable housing in those areas, where market-rate prices sit well above the state average. 

Western Slope lawmakers have instead opted to incentivize income-based projects that leave more decision-making in local hands rather than introduce a top-down land use approach. 

Wolves

With the continued rollout of the state’s voter-approved wolf reintroduction program, reported incidents of wolf attacks on livestock — mostly in Jackson and Grand counties — have led ranchers to file for hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation from Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Roberts, a chief critic of the agency’s handling of wolf management efforts, plans to sponsor legislation that would hide the names of ranchers who file for compensation from public view under the Colorado Open Records Act. 

“I’ve heard from constituents in Grand County and elsewhere (that they) are reluctant to fill out those claims because they know their information will immediately be public,” Robert said, adding that this had caused concern from ranchers over being harassed by “pro-wolf groups.” 

With ranchers’ claims totaling more than what the state has currently allocated for compensation, Roberts said he envisions some “tough conversations” over protecting payments for livestock owners. 

“If (Colorado Parks and Wildlife) tries to pare that amount down significantly, I think you’re going to hear a lot of us — myself included — having problems with that,” Roberts said. “I think these ranchers have filled out those claims honestly and are probably even undervaluing their losses.” 

Roberts said there is potential for legislation to be introduced to formalize compensation standards and ensure that “ranchers are getting what they’re owed.” 

Worker protections 

Environmental justice and labor protections will be key policy priorities for Rep. Elizabeth Velasco (D-Glenwood Springs) whose district includes large Spanish-speaking and immigrant populations. 

“We have diverse communities across the state, specifically here in the Western Slope,” Velasco said. “We depend on migrants for our small businesses and our communities, so we look forward to protecting everyone who lives in our communities.” 

Velasco plans to introduce legislation that would grant new protections for outdoor workers facing extreme weather conditions, namely heat. 

Labor issues are expected to be a dominant issue during the 2025 session, with several high-ranking Democrats — including the state party chair — backing a proposal that would make it easier for unions to negotiate dues from non-union members in the workplace, something known as union security. The idea has received pushback, however, from Gov. Jared Polis. 

The proposal was not discussed during Wednesday’s press conference. 

McCluskie, the top Democrat in the House, declined to take a stance on the initiative during a recent interview with the Denver Post, but said she supported unions that have stepped up “to say, ‘We can be the voice of our workers in the workplace; we can help make sure that our workers are earning living wages and good benefits.'”

Education, short-term rentals and other issues

Other priorities for lawmakers include public education, with Lukens saying she will introduce legislation that would require school districts to create a phone policy for students “in order to ensure that kids are focused on learning instead of focused on their cell phone.” 

Lawmakers said they will also push for bills that improve cell phone connectivity throughout rural Colorado, continue water quality and conservation efforts and provide free access to state parks for members of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe — which is being advanced by Rep-elect Katie Stewart, who represents Durango and the southwestern most corner of Colorado

Regarding regulations on short-term rentals, which has become a hot-button issue in resort communities across the state, McCluskie said she is not yet aware of any bills coming forward that specifically target those properties. 

But other policy proposals, like a bill to allow counties and statutory towns to impose excise taxes on certain industries, goods and services, could be used to increase taxes on lodging properties. McCluskie and Roberts plan to sponsor that bill. 

Another proposal from the Colorado Association of Ski Towns to allow local communities to impose taxes on vacant homes may also appear this session, though the association stated it would not apply to short-term rentals.