We Shape the Policies that Shape Colorado

One of the biggest fights of the session kicked off on day one: the effort to overturn Colorado’s Labor Peace Act. Initially expected to be the first bill on the Governor’s desk instead, it became one of the last to pass after months of tense negotiations. The Governor publicly called for a compromise that both labor and business could support, and the Chamber came to the table with serious offers and data to back them up. Our final proposal would have increased union security win rates by 131%, with 83% of those wins happening after just one election. By contrast, labor’s counteroffer merely dropped their win rate from 100% to 99.5% under the bill’s original terms. At the heart of the issue was a fundamental principle for the Chamber: a minority of workers should not be able to compel a majority—who did not vote in support of joining a union—to pay union dues. The bill ultimately passed unamended, exactly as introduced, and now awaits the Governor’s veto, which he has publicly confirmed he intends to use.

Colorado’s decarbonization requirements for commercial buildings have created significant cost and implementation challenges. In response, the Chamber—working alongside a coalition of affected stakeholders—advocated for meaningful reforms to the existing regulations. While the legislative process was difficult, the final bill delivers important improvements. It eliminates the 2026 compliance deadline, allows buildings to comply by meeting local standards such as Energize Denver, and permits use of a 2019 emissions baseline instead of 2021. Although the bill increases fees and adjusts potential fines for inflation, it removes the most burdensome penalties that were originally proposed. Ultimately, the final legislation reflects a more practical and flexible approach to compliance, and has been sent to the Governor for signature.

After a year of anticipation, Majority Leader Senator Rodriguez introduced updates to Colorado’s AI law in the final days of the legislative session. While the proposal included several business-supported provisions—such as a one-year implementation delay and a “right to cure” mechanism—it also introduced sweeping changes. Most notably, the bill significantly broadened impact assessment requirements and redefined “substantial modification” to include any party that adapts a model using its own data. This reclassification would have designated such parties as developers, subjecting them to new legal obligations and penalties. The Denver Metro Chamber originally took an amend position but ultimately shifted to an oppose due to unresolved concerns. In an unexpected turn during the final three days of session, Senator Rodriguez postponed the bill indefinitely, leaving last year’s AI Act in place as current law.