Colorado Republicans Decry Tax Increases Passed in Special Session, Call for Bipartisan Solutions

Colorado Republicans closed the Governor’s narrowly scoped special session with a unified critique of the outcome, arguing that the majority chose tax increases over what they describe as durable, structural solutions to the state’s long-term budget challenges. In their view, the package of bills approved by Democrats raises taxes on Coloradans by more than $200 million this fiscal year while setting aside proposals Republicans say would have increased savings, cut waste, and protected family budgets.

House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese framed the week as a missed chance to put families first. She pointed to rising costs for groceries, housing, and other essentials and argued that the measures add “hundreds of millions” in new taxes without taking up Republican ideas aimed at lowering costs and safeguarding Taxpayer Bill of Rights refunds. For families already stretched thin, she said, leaders should be protecting household budgets—“not politicians who raid them.”

Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson focused on process as much as policy. He characterized the special session as predetermined, saying the script was written before the gavel dropped and that Democrats knew which fiscal bills would pass. According to Simpson, the package puts taxpayers on the hook to partially close what Republicans call a $700 million budget deficit, and it was crafted without Republican involvement. He added that meaningful, bipartisan solutions—ones that don’t raise taxes—were attainable if Democrats had opened the door to “honest, bipartisan collaboration.”

Assistant House Minority Leader Ty Winter echoed that perspective, saying families deserve real solutions that put them first. In his telling, Democrats entered the session with minds made up, ignored Republican ideas to lower costs, and chose politics over people. That approach, he argued, doesn’t build trust or deliver relief for hardworking Coloradans who feel the pressure of day-to-day expenses.

Senate Minority Whip Janice Rich expressed disappointment with the direction of the work, saying she and her colleagues arrived ready to fight for immediate relief but watched the majority opt for tax hikes rather than spending reductions. She attributed today’s affordability concerns to prior policy choices and urged a course correction: collaborating on “real and responsible solutions” that would, in her view, address costs without increasing taxes.

Representative Rick Taggart underscored the caucus’s fiscal concerns by pointing to what he described as the near-term impact of the legislation. He said the package raises “over 250 million dollars in taxes and tax credits” in the next year alone while leaving the state’s structural shortfall—cited by Republicans at roughly $700 million—unaddressed. Instead of bringing stability and discipline to the budget, Taggart argued, the session ended with higher taxes and a missed opportunity to protect savings and secure long-term fiscal health.

Ranking Joint Budget Committee Member Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer broadened the critique to affordability and health care. She said Coloradans already believe things are too expensive and argued the special session raises taxes “even higher.” Alongside those increases, she said, the majority advanced $200 million in tax credits for corporations. Kirkmeyer also warned that, “in the next few days,” Governor Jared Polis would reduce health-care provider rates, a move she said could affect access for 1.2 million residents. In her view, one-party control has taken the budget and the state in the wrong direction, and she called for a better path that makes living in Colorado more affordable.

Taken together, these statements outline a consistent Republican message: that the special session’s fiscal package imposes new costs now while forgoing deeper structural changes Republicans believe would stabilize the budget without increasing the burden on families. They argue their proposals—centered on savings, spending discipline, and protection of taxpayer refunds—received little consideration despite an openness to negotiate. In that telling, the session became a missed opportunity to craft bipartisan solutions aimed at lowering costs and addressing long-term pressures.

Democrats, for their part, generally contend in debates like this that targeted revenue changes are sometimes necessary to maintain core services, keep the budget balanced, and protect affordability in areas such as health care and education. They typically argue that their approach seeks to manage near-term gaps while preserving long-term stability, and they dispute the characterization that such votes are simply “tax hikes” rather than steps to sustain essential programs and fiscal responsibility.

As Republicans see it, the path forward is to return to first principles: protect taxpayers, preserve the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, and advance policies they say will respect family budgets and make life more affordable statewide. They closed the special session reiterating that commitment and calling for future collaboration—provided any talks prioritize cost-of-living concerns and long-term stability. For now, their position remains clear: the session ended with higher taxes and unresolved structural issues, and they intend to keep advocating for a different approach.