Colorado Lawmakers Deliver for Kids Despite Tight Budget — But More Work Remains (05/14/26)
DENVER – Despite significant fiscal constraints and federal uncertainty, Colorado’s legislators delivered progress for children and families who need it most in the 2026 legislative session, including a landmark update to the state’s public benefits system; sustained funding for public education; and improvements to the state’s child care system.
"This was not an easy session," said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. "But our policymakers showed up for kids in important ways. They maintained public education funding in a tight budget year. They made essential, long overdue changes to make sure our safety net is meeting children’s needs. And they supported bills that will improve access to child care and support health coverage for kids."
The Colorado Children’s Campaign released its 2026 Legislative & Budget Impacts publication today. Key wins for children include:
- Economic Security: A landmark overhaul of the public benefits system (HB26-1429) will make programs like SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, and child care assistance work better for the families who rely on them.
- K-12 Education: Students with disabilities gained stronger state-level protections (SB26-125) at a moment when federal oversight has weakened. A new youth mental health funding stream (HB26-1418) will expand access to prevention, crisis response, and peer support—without added pressure on the state budget. And for the first time, state law defines the "Opportunity Gap," grounding future education policy in a shared commitment to equity (SB26-170).
- Early Childhood: The Child Care Contribution Tax Credit was extended for an unprecedented 10 years (HB26-1004), preserving upwards of $80 million annually for providers. And new legislation streamlined local early childhood infrastructure, consolidating overlapping organizations to cut bureaucracy and put more resources directly into services for kids (SB26-019).
- Health: Colorado preserved coverage for more than 270,000 undocumented children and pregnant adults through the Cover All Coloradans program, even as the budget required difficult tradeoffs. Lawmakers also stabilized private insurance markets through the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise (SB26-178): and strengthened vaccine access to protect children from preventable disease (SB26-032).
This year also included several missed opportunities for kids, including a comprehensive package of tax reforms that would have closed loopholes and allowed the state to invest in families’ economic stability (HB26-1221 and HB26-1222) and a bill that would have created the state’s first-ever independent state fund for child care for families with low incomes (SB26-180).
The Colorado Children's Campaign will continue to monitor implementation of the measures that passed and advocate for the long-term, sustainable investments Colorado's children deserve.
###
Media contact: Jackie Zubrzycki, Vice President of Communications
Email: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org
About the Colorado Children's Campaign
The Colorado Children's Campaign is a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of Colorado's children through research, policy development, and advocacy. Since 1985, the Campaign has worked to ensure every Colorado child has the opportunity to grow up healthy, educated, and economically secure. Learn more at coloradokids.org.
Colorado Bill Would Redesign the State’s Safety Net to Better Serve Kids and Families (05/01/26)
DENVER – A new bill introduced in Colorado’s General Assembly this week — HB26‑1429 — would make immediate improvements to the state’s safety net while laying the groundwork for a redesigned, modern system that delivers essential services more effectively to kids and families.
“Children in every part of our state are thriving with the support of Colorado’s investments in public benefits like health coverage, food benefits, and child care,” said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “When these systems are working well, kids and families have what they need to live their lives with confidence that their basic needs will be met. When they are not, kids and families face unnecessary stress and struggles. This bill is an important step toward making sure our public benefits are run as efficiently and effectively as possible at a time when they are facing unprecedented threats and scrutiny.”
Changes to the federal budget and increased uncertainty about funding for public benefits have threatened access to child care assistance, food assistance, health coverage, and temporary cash support in Colorado. But Colorado’s safety net is also facing longer-term challenges, including state budget barriers, increasing need, outdated technology, and a fragmented approach to administering programs that can create inefficiencies and barriers for families.
Colorado’s public benefit programs help ensure hundreds of thousands of children’s basic needs are met. Of the state’s 1.2 million children, in the 2024-25 state fiscal year:
- More than 615,000 children got their health coverage through Medicaid or the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+).
- Nearly 355,000 children participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- More than 50,000 children received basic cash assistance through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
- About 27,600 children were supported by the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP).
These programs are vitally important for children’s well-being. Every day, they help children get to the doctor when they need to; have healthy food on the table; and have a safe place to go while their parents are in school or at work. Yet families often face long delays, duplicative paperwork, and inconsistent processes to access these benefits — barriers that can prevent children from getting timely care, nutritious food, and financial stability.
“Families need high-quality assistance delivered better and faster so kids can focus on being kids,” said Sarah Barnes, Vice President of Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “HB26‑1429 cuts red tape, strengthens accountability, and puts Colorado on a path toward a safety net that actually works for children and families.”
About the Bill: HB26‑1429
HB26‑1429 delivers the changes Colorado needs, without sacrificing our values. The product of intensive work by county, state, and nonprofit partners, the bill centers children and families and ensures long-term sustainability.
HB26‑1429:
- Establishes a continuous quality improvement system to track metrics and identify and fix eligibility and benefits errors statewide
- Strengthens transparency and accountability with standardized performance contracts and monthly public reporting
- Creates a plan to transition to a statewide case integrity centralized service
- Creates an integrated policy committee to increase alignment and improve service delivery across programs
- Sets a clear path to launch a redesigned public benefits system by July 2028
Media Contact:
Jackie Zubrzycki, Vice President of Communications, Colorado Children’s Campaign
Email: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org
About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well‑being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K‑12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long‑term impact.
Colorado Bill Prevents Premiums From Skyrocketing, Secures Affordable Health Coverage as Federal Funding Dries Up (04/30/26)
DENVER, CO — At a moment when many Colorado families are already struggling to afford health insurance coverage and medical care and when federal support for people buying insurance on the individual marketplace has been cut, Colorado’s legislators are considering a bill that would sustain critical state programs that have kept insurance more affordable and accessible in recent years.
SB26-178, Health Insurance Affordability Measures, extends funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise (HIAE) for another year. That will allow the state to continue supporting reinsurance, OmniSalud, and the Colorado Premium Assistance program, which help Coloradans afford and access health coverage on the individual marketplace.
Without the HIAE, premiums for some Colorado families could increase by hundreds of dollars a month and the insurance market will face increased instability. Coloradans who are immigrants without documentation would lose access to OmniSalud, which allows them to compare and enroll in health coverage. For many families, that will mean going uninsured and hoping their kids do not get sick.
“When families don’t have health insurance, children often don’t get to the doctor’s office when they need to. They go without needed prescriptions. And their families can be forced to take on debt when they do need health care,” said Toni Sarge, Director of Health Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “Colorado needs to sustain the Colorado Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise so that families who buy insurance through the state marketplace do not see their monthly premiums increase beyond what they can afford."
Last August, the Colorado legislature passed temporary, one-year funding for the HIAE to protect Coloradans from a predicted average 174% increase in premiums resulting from the expiration of federal enhanced Premium Tax Credits at the beginning of 2026. This extension was estimated to save Coloradans $75 million on their premiums in 2026.
Without long-term funding, thousands of Colorado families will lose coverage and the protections that make it affordable, meaning more kids will miss check-ups, go without prescriptions, and wait to get care until a minor illness becomes an emergency.
The bill will be heard in the Senate’s finance committee today, April 30.
About the Bill
Health Insurance Affordability Measures (SB26-178):
- Establishes sustainable long-term state funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise
- Continues reinsurance, which helps bring down premiums, especially in rural Colorado
- Preserves OmniSalud, protecting coverage for eligible immigrants who have no other affordable option
- Maintains the state Premium Assistance program, which offsets the expiration of federal enhanced premium tax credits
Quotes From Bill Sponsors
This bill is sponsored by Senators Kyle Mullica and Iman Jodeh and Representatives Kyle Brown and Lindsay Gilchrist.
Colorado must respond to the federal government’s end of the enhanced premium tax credits by renewing a funding commitment for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise. Without this support, hospitals across Colorado, strained by high levels of uncompensated care, will face greater financial pressure. Ensuring the HIAE remains fully funded is one of the most effective tools we have to stabilize our health‑care system and keep health coverage within reach.
-Senator Kyle Mullica
Federal shifts are putting new pressure on families who already struggle to afford care, and this economic impact will fall hardest on communities that have historically been left out of our healthcare system. I believe that health care is a human right, not a privilege, and preserving funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise is essential. It’s one of the few tools that directly shields Colorado families from rising health costs and helps ensure that Colorado families don’t lose access to the coverage they rely on.”
-Senator Iman Jodeh
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise is a cornerstone of Colorado’s progress toward a more equitable health system. Sustaining this funding means more people can access preventive care, more communities can thrive, and more Coloradans can participate fully in school and work. This is about building a healthier future for the entire state.”
— Representative Kyle Brown
Affordable health coverage is one of the most important tools we can offer Colorado’s working families and small businesses. Continued funding for the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise helps keep premiums down and expands access to health care so people don’t have to choose between their health and their financial security.”
-Representative Lindsay Gilchrist
Media contacts:
Jackie Zubrzycki, VP of Communications, Colorado Children’s Campaign. Email: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org
###
About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children's Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
Colorado Bill to Raise Revenue to Address Child Care Access, Affordability Crisis (04/28/26)
DENVER – Legislation introduced in Colorado’s General Assembly this week seeks to mitigate Colorado’s child care crisis by creating a new permanent fund for child care assistance for low-income families. SB26-180 is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Sen. Bright, Sen. Marchman, Rep. Garcia, and Rep. Taggart.
In Colorado, child care is both unaffordable and unavailable. Colorado is one of the most expensive states in the nation for child care, and the state does not have enough licensed child care seats to meet the needs of working parents.
These problems can be addressed through public investment. This bill would create a new mechanism for generating revenue to subsidize the cost of child care for the state’s most economically under-resourced families. Eligible entities, such as enterprises, would opt into the program, allowing a portion of the interest generated through their investments to be used to support families in affording child care.
INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE AUTHORITY (SB26-180) provides the state with the ability to raise funds for services during a budget shortfall by:
- Uses a portion of investment returns to restore child care access to priority families and establish a state fund for child care
- Directs funding to economically under-resourced families, serving those with the highest need
- Caps administration costs, maximizing dollars funneled to direct services
“Child care is a public good. Investing in our youngest children sets them up for academic and social success throughout their lifetimes and also gives families the flexibility and peace of mind they need to pursue financial security,” said Dr. Mathangi Subramanian, Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “This bill provides the economic infrastructure we need to let kids be kids.”
Children who attend high quality child care programs have higher graduation rates, higher earning potential, and better socioemotional outcomes. Providing more parents with the opportunity to work could generate over $2 billion in potential revenue for our state’s economy.
“No family should have to choose between going to work or school and finding safe, quality care for their child. But that’s exactly the impossible situation thousands of Colorado families are facing right now,” said Christina Walker, Senior Director of Policy at Healthier Colorado. “This bill won’t solve the child care crisis overnight, but it will reduce the harm of these freezes for the families who need help the most. And at a moment when Colorado’s budget is under serious strain, it does so without tapping the general fund, making this a lifeline that doesn’t come at the expense of other critical priorities.”
Media contacts:
Alexandra Eliot: alexandra@eliotstrategies.com, Healthier Colorado
Jackie Zubrzycki: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org, Vice President of Communications, Colorado Children’s Campaign
###
About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
About Healthier Colorado
Healthier Colorado advocates on behalf of everyday Coloradans to change laws and systems so that everyone has a fair shot at living a healthy life. We work to improve the physical, mental, and social health of Coloradans through lobbying, state legislative campaigns, research, policy development, and advocacy.
New Bill Would Protect Colorado Students Amid Federal Cuts to Civil Rights Enforcement (02/26/26)
DENVER – A bill introduced in Colorado’s General Assembly this week would create essential state-level infrastructure to protect students with disabilities at a moment when federal protections have been significantly weakened.
The families of 44,040 Colorado students with 504 plans depend on disability rights protections to support their children’s education. But the partial closure of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has left families without a reliable avenue for complaints and appeals when schools fall short.
By codifying language from Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in state law and providing the Colorado Department of Education with additional resources, Colorado can continue enforcing the civil rights of students with disabilities.
“Colorado cannot afford to wait while federal oversight diminishes,” said Emily Harvey, Co-Legal Director at Disability Law Colorado. “By codifying key protections from Section 504 and the ADA into state law, lawmakers are ensuring that students with disabilities remain protected regardless of shifting federal priorities. Civil rights enforcement must be stable and dependable — not political.”
“This bill protects our most vulnerable students while preventing costly litigation and supporting the education of all students,” said Madeleine Ashour, Director of K-12 Education Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “When children’s rights aren’t enforced early and consistently, students can go without needed services. Teachers absorb the resulting workload in the short term, so whole classrooms are affected when this happens. Most importantly, students can’t wait – timeliness is key to effective intervention. It’s also key to reducing litigation costs.”
About the bill
Disability Rights Protections in Public Schools (SB26-125):
- Codifies some of the statutory language from Section 504 and the ADA into Colorado law
- Establishes a reasonable complaint procedure families can use at CDE instead of waiting on OCR
- Requires schools to implement annual disability rights training
- Requires schools to ensure school disability rights coordinators are operating according to current state law
The bill does not create new mandates, burdens, or requirements for schools.
Quotes from bill sponsors
This bill is sponsored by Sen. Chris Kolker, Sen. Janice Marchman, Rep. Jennifer Bacon, and Rep. Jacque Phillips.
“The federal government has decimated the oversight and investigation pathways for 504 and ADA complaints. Now, Colorado will step in to protect the rights of our disabled students and staff by enshrining these protections into our state law. This bill is paramount for the protection of those with disabilities in our public education system, and I am proud to be a co-sponsor,” said Sen. Chris Kolker, who represents SD16.
“The U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, in Denver, significantly reduced their attorney staff. That means legal compliance for students on 504 plans is at risk. If the U.S. Department of Education can’t take care of our students with disabilities, then the Colorado Department of Education will!” said Rep. Jacque Phillips, who represents HD31.
Background: Stepping up where the federal government has stepped back
Colorado has long recognized the importance of supporting students with disabilities in public schools. But the recent dismantling of federal education infrastructure has created a void that the state must now fill.
Two federal laws have protected students with disabilities from discrimination in schools.
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act provides for student accommodations, like extra time on tests, and protection from discrimination.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ensures equal access to learning opportunities and prohibits discrimination.
OCR has historically monitored and enforced Section 504 and the ADA in public school settings. OCR takes complaints, investigates, and supports mediation.
Since May of 2025, half of OCR staff have been terminated, and 7 out of 12 OCR regional offices have closed. As OCR shrinks, its ability to meet caseload demand shrinks. In 2024, OCR issued public decisions on 56 cases. In 2025, it issued 7. When complaints go unresolved, students can face months of bullying, fall behind academically, and experience lasting harm.
Without intervention, districts could face increased litigation and long-term costs to the state could grow significantly. This bill ensures Colorado is not left waiting for a crisis.
Media contacts:
- Jackie Zubrzycki, Vice President of Communications, Colorado Children’s Campaign: Phone: 215-208-4693; Email: jackie@coloradokids.org
- Felix Ortiz, Communications Manager, Disability Law Colorado: Phone: 720-202-9871; Email: fortiz@disabilitylawco.org
###
About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
About Disability Law Colorado
Disability Law Colorado is a nonprofit civil rights organization, authorized by federal law to combat discrimination, abuse, and neglect. We aim to make Colorado the best place in America for people with disabilities to thrive. For more information, visit disabilitylawco.org
Federal Judge Extends Temporary Protection for Child Care and Children’s Basic Needs, but Long-Term Solutions Still Urgently Needed (01/23/2026)
DENVER – While a federal judge has extended a temporary restraining order requiring the federal government to continue funding for Colorado’s subsidized child care program and other public benefits supporting families’ basic needs, the Colorado Children’s Campaign emphasizes that this is just a temporary reprieve. Critical funding remains at risk, and children across the state need permanent solutions.
The Colorado Children’s Campaign continues to urge federal and state leaders to press the White House to permanently restore these essential funds. Without these funds, Colorado families will be unable to work, put food on the table, or meet their children’s basic needs. Colorado children should not be used as pawns for political gains.
It is clearer than ever that Colorado must build a resilient, flexible system to protect kids no matter what happens in Washington. Our 2026 Policy Priorities lay out a path forward, focused on ensuring all Colorado children have access to vaccines, health coverage, a strong safety net, quality child care, and fully-funded schools.
Expert available for comment: Mathangi Subramanian, Director of Early Childhood Policy, is available to discuss the freezes and their implications for Colorado.
Email to arrange an interview: Jackie@ColoradoKids.org, 215.208.4693
###
About the Colorado Children’s Campaign
At the Colorado Children’s Campaign, we use data and research to identify what kids across our state need most, then advocate for policies that strengthen their well-being and help them thrive. Our focus is the whole child, working across Early Childhood, K-12 Education, Health, and Economic Security for the greatest long-term impact.
Download PDF of ReleaseThree Bills Aim to Strengthen Colorado’s Child Care System Amid Federal Uncertainty
Media contact: Dr. Mathangi Subramanian, Director of Early Childhood Policy, is available to discuss these bills and their implications and to connect reporters with early childhood providers who can discuss their potential impact.
DENVER – Three bills introduced in Colorado’s General Assembly this week will make the state’s early childhood education and care system more affordable, efficient, and accessible for families at a moment when federal support for early childhood remains uncertain.
Colorado families face significant challenges accessing care for their children, with nearly 13,000 children on waitlists for child care subsidies or affected by enrollment freezes. The state was recently ranked the fifth most expensive in the country for child care. Recent federal funding freezes have intensified concerns about the future of the state’s most vulnerable families.
“The first years of a child’s life are critical for their development,” said Dr. Mathangi Subramanian, Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “This year, our lawmakers have the opportunity to cement Colorado’s status as a national leader in early childhood by cutting red tape and investing in systems that ensure every child has access to safe and nurturing care.”
Three Bills to Bolster Early Childhood
-
Continuation of Child Care Contribution Tax Credit (HB26-1004): This bill renews the Child Care Contribution Tax Credit to attract private investment and sustain child care providers. This proven tool expands child care access for families and strengthens local economies, delivering long-term benefits for children and the workforce alike.
-
Early Childhood Local System Consolidation (SB26-019): This bill streamlines the early childhood system by combining administrative structures, making it easier for families to navigate available programs, ensuring funding is used efficiently and wisely, and raising provider quality and accessibility.
-
Child Care Provider Licensing & Quality (SB26-020): This bill makes child care licensing processes more accessible and efficient while maintaining a high level of quality. It also convenes a task force of childhood experts to evaluate our current quality ranking system and suggest improvements.
Together, these bills will maintain a key avenue for revenue; maximize existing resources while simplifying navigation for families; and support provider quality and sustainability.
Strengthening the Early Childhood System
Colorado has taken important steps to support early childhood in recent years. The Colorado Department of Early Childhood was established in July 2022, and the Universal Preschool program has served tens of thousands of children across the state since it launched in 2023.
These bills build on that foundation to ensure the system works effectively and equitably for all families.
“Investing in early childhood at the state level is more necessary than ever before,” Subramanian said. “With our federal funding at risk, we need bills like these to address both immediate needs and long-term sustainability. Together, this legislation reinforces Colorado’s continuing commitment to our children and families, now and in the future .”
Learn More: The Colorado Children’s Campaign 2026 policy priorities
Federal Freeze Puts Tens of Thousands of Colorado Children at Risk; 300+ Organizations and Coloradans Demand Action
DENVER – Tens of thousands of Colorado children are placed in jeopardy by a federal funding freeze that would result in families losing cash assistance, lead child care centers to close, and make it even more difficult for families to find safe places for their children to be cared for while they work.
More than 300 organizations and individuals in Colorado have signed a letter calling on federal officials and the state’s congressional delegation to act so that critical federal funding for child care, families’ basic needs, and social services continues to flow to Colorado.
[READ THE LETTER AND VIEW SIGNATURES]
Earlier this month, the federal department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) froze tens of millions of dollars in funding for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), and the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP).
“While the freeze is currently paused, this action should never have occurred. Programs that support children should never be used in political gamesmanship,” said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “It is particularly disgraceful that these cuts specifically target children in families with low incomes – some of which will face a double blow, losing access to child care and support for basic needs, job training, and other resources all at once.”
The freezes would also have ripple effects for children and families not directly served by the affected programs, as Colorado government agencies would lose funding they use to administer a variety of early childhood programs and child care providers would lose funds that allow them to serve children with and without subsidies.
“Colorado’s child care infrastructure is underfunded even without this freeze. Denying the state this funding is kicking us when we were already down. More than 12,000 Colorado children are on waitlists and freezes for CCCAP, and many more families across the state struggle to find and afford high-quality child care,” said Dr. Mathangi Subramanian,
Director of Early Childhood Policy at the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “If this funding is frozen, it will disrupt the lives of children and families almost immediately. And it will cause serious losses for our state’s communities and our economy as child care providers close and parents can no longer go to work.”
The letter calls for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration for Children and Families to rescind the freeze and for the state’s Congressional delegation to urge the administration to release funds.
“Colorado’s children are its most important asset. We should be investing in every child every day so they can be healthy and thrive,” Tritten said.
Facts and Figures:
- The Colorado Child Care Assistance Program (CCCAP) serves 27,000 children, most of them under the age of 5. Without CCCAP funding, many providers will be forced to close their doors.
- More than 47,000 children in Colorado receive basic cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF). These children live in families with household incomes under $15,000 per year and TANF helps their families afford necessities like diapers, food and clothing.
Learn More:
- Read the Colorado Children’s Campaign’s statement on the funding freeze
- Coloradans who are concerned can reach out to their representatives using the Colorado Children’s Campaign’s action alert
Statement on Shooting at Evergreen High School
Our deepest sympathies are with the Evergreen High School community.
“Children need and deserve to be able to attend school without fear,” said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “We must work together to end gun violence so that no other child experiences a school shooting. And we must take care of those who are suffering today.”
Resources for students, schools, parents, and communities
- CDPHE Office of Gun Violence Prevention: Office of Gun Violence Prevention | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- Gun violence resources from the Office of School Safety: Gun Violence Prevention | The Office of School Safety
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network: School shooting resources
- SAMHSA: Coping with traumatic events
- American Psychological Association: Coping with shootings
- University of Michigan: Resources for Communities After a School Shooting | Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention (umich.edu)
- Second Wind Fund: Second Wind Fund – Youth Suicide Prevention (thesecondwindfund.org)
Resources for crisis support:
- Colorado Crisis and Support Line: 844-493-8255, or Text TALK to 38255
- Safe2Tell Colorado: 877-542-7233
Coloradans launch 2026 ballot push for graduated state income tax
DENVER, CO — September 3, 2025 — The Protect Colorado’s Future coalition today announced plans to put a graduated income tax on the 2026 ballot. This proposal would lower taxes for 98 percent of Coloradans, while raising taxes on individuals and corporations making more than $500,000 a year.
The proposal comes in direct response to Colorado’s budget crisis, caused by state revenue limits and federal budget cuts. This budget gap has led to $1.5 billion in cuts to vital state programs this year alone. The state’s existing budget squeeze forced massive program cuts earlier this year, but President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” threw our state into free fall, taking away funds for healthcare, food assistance, and schools to benefit giant corporations and give tax breaks to the wealthiest.
Protect Colorado’s Future says it’s time to fix the state’s tax system. For 50 years, Colorado used a graduated income tax system, in which those with higher incomes paid higher taxes. This system ended in 1987, when an anti-tax legislature replaced it with an inequitable “flat tax,” lowering taxes on those making the most and gradually draining the state budget. The coalition aims to ask voters to fix that injustice through a ballot measure in 2026, and began that process today by filing three versions of a ballot initiative.
“Colorado is at a turning point,” said Chris deGruy Kennedy, President and CEO of the Bell Policy Center, a member of the coalition. “For more than three decades, an upside-down tax code has hurt Colorado’s schools, health care, childcare and the environment. We’ve made the wealthy even wealthier while everyone else struggles to keep up. The cruel cuts to healthcare and the absurd corporate tax giveaways in the federal budget bill have pushed Colorado over the edge, and only the voters of Colorado have the power to make the wealthy pay their fair share and restore funding to critical state priorities.”
Colorado is especially vulnerable to federal cuts because a state constitutional amendment called the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, creates an arbitrary budget formula that legislators must follow, restricting the state’s ability to fund essential public services. The amendment also makes the 1987 flat tax permanent, unless overturned at the ballot. The result is seen in this year’s state budget: a $1.2 billion dollar deficit impacting every Coloradan, from young children to older adults, in all parts of the state.
“Our generation is tired of waiting for someone else to save our future while our economic security gets worse with every failed minimum wage increase, additional hundreds of dollars added to our rent, and funding cuts to programs we rely on like Medicaid and Higher Education,” said Christina Soliz, Executive Director of New Era Colorado, another member of the coalition. “While the wealthy continue to thrive, young people are questioning whether Colorado is even a feasible place to build their lives. We’re taking our future into our own hands, and that begins with demanding the wealthy pay their fair share."
The graduated income tax proposal will help recapture some of the $71,000 the wealthiest Coloradans will receive in 2026 from Trump’s tax cuts, reinvesting those dollars back into classrooms, healthcare, childcare, and other state priorities that could include food security, public safety, or workforce development programs.
Additional quotes from member organizations
- Brace Gibson, Policy Director at Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger: “It’s time to put people first and build a fairer tax system that ensures every Coloradan can meet their basic needs like putting food on the table. Outdated policies like TABOR and federal tax breaks for the wealthy make that harder. We can and should do better by investing in food access, schools, healthcare, transportation, and other essential services that all of our communities rely on.”
- Kathy White, Executive Director at Colorado Fiscal Institute: “Colorado’s working families shouldn’t have to pick up the tab so the wealthiest get a $71,000-a-year gift from Congress — especially when TABOR has already tied our hands for decades. A graduated income tax is just common sense: 98% of us get a tax cut, and the folks doing really well chip in a fair share to keep our schools strong, our healthcare system solid, and our communities thriving. That’s how we build a Colorado where everyone gets ahead, not just the lucky few.”
- Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign: “A new approach to income taxes would open up a world of opportunity for Colorado's children and communities. Imagine a future where Colorado can build the schools, health care system, child care supports, and strong, safe, generous communities our children need and deserve. Imagine a future where our state's resources match the true prosperity of our communities. Imagine a future where we are not as vulnerable to the whims of federal policymakers. This proposal is a step toward that future.”
About the Protect Colorado’s Future coalition
Protect Colorado’s Future is a coalition of concerned Coloradans represented by the following nonprofit organizations:
Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger
Colorado Center on Law and Policy
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights
Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition
Counties & Commissioners Acting Together