Gov. Jared Polis Delivers 2022 State Of The State Address

DENVER, CO — Gov. Jared Polis delivered his 2022 State of the State address to the Colorado General Assembly Thursday morning.

"This isn’t my Colorado or your Colorado, this is our Colorado – which is why we respond together, we heal together, we move forward together, and we succeed together," Polis said. "It’s why, in spite of all we have faced this last year, I count it the greatest honor of my life to serve as your Governor, and am hopeful as ever about the promise of our Colorado."

Much of Polis' focus of this 2022 address centered around saving Coloradans money in the midst of an escalating cost of living, made worse by COVID-19.

"Inflation has accelerated during the pandemic. Supply chains have been disrupted. Spending habits have changed. The cost of housing has spiked. Farmers and ranchers face unprecedented losses, and many Coloradans have left the workforce," he said.

"Too many people are struggling to make ends meet. As your Governor, I want you to know: we hear you and we are here to do something about it. While all of these complex problems can’t be solved overnight, we promise to use every single tool at our disposal to save hardworking Coloradans the money you need to live the life you want."

In that vein, he promised to reduce taxes and rates and to provide free preschool and kindergarten, concepts that go hand-in-hand with the Office of Saving People Money on Health Care, which Polis created in his first weeks in office.

"We created a reinsurance program which has reduced health care premiums on the individual market by 24 percent, saving hardworking Coloradans an average of $1,400 this year statewide, and an average of $2,450 per year in Western Colorado, one of the highest cost markets," Polis added. "And thanks to the leadership of Representative Roberts, we are capping the skyrocketing cost of insulin at $100 per month."

Referencing "other pain points" in regards to the rising cost of living in Colorado, Polis discussed the new Colorado Child Tax Credit as well as an increase in the state-earned income tax credit, both of which put more money in the pockets of working Coloradan families.

"Because we in this chamber are not only committed to saving Coloradans money, but to doing it in a way that ensures continued access to critical state services, we fully paid for the tax cuts by reducing lobbyist loopholes and special interest tax giveaways for the wealthy and well-connected," Polis said.

In addition to proposing that it should be free for Coloradans to open small businesses, he also proposed the reduction of fees such as "the unemployment insurance premium and the Paid Family and Medical Leave premium."

Citing a worsening pandemic and the impact on mental health it is having, especially on children, Polis expressed a wish to partner with local governments and school districts to provide a more integrated system of mental health services.

"We want to partner with local governments and school districts to multiply the impact of historic funding to create a responsible, effective approach to addressing behavioral health needs from the mountains to the plains," Polis said.

Polis also introduced a plan to invest more in Kindergarten through high school education and an expansion of available financial aid for higher education, with the goal of keeping tuition stagnant and costs low.

"There is nothing more important to the future of our state than educating Colorado children," Polis said. "We must take the responsible approach by setting money aside to keep up with these investments for future years."

In response to the hospital capacity issues brought on by the pandemic, he announced a plan to invest more in healthcare, saying that "we can't let our society and our economy be impacted by hospital capacity, and I look forward to working with legislators and health care leaders to ensure that no matter where this pandemic takes us, we will be ready."

Polis also pledged to promote public safety by "focusing on training and recruiting efforts for police, supporting community policing models, increasing access to mental health services, offering early intervention grants, increasing support for domestic violence victims, and making safety improvements in our schools and on our streets."

"If there is one thing that you take away from today, let it be my optimism for the days ahead, our commitment to Moving Colorado Forward by saving people money, improving affordability, and making our state a better place for everyone."