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democracy. parks we had head to colorado is serving a second term as governor. back in january he spoke before a joint session of the legislature and denver to discuss environmental issues, workforce development reproductive health plant care prior to become governor he was a member of congress. serving 10 years in the u.s. house of representatives. his speech is about an hour. [applause] [applause]

[applause] >> it is my pleasure and honor to present to you the honorable jared polis and governor of the best state in the nation. colorado. [cheering] will be happy to know the escort came they did their job. i was not able to escape i tried between the first and second floor they fully contained me and did their job. speaker, president, majority leader, majority leader rodrigues, minority leader lynch, minority leader, lieutenant governor, treasurer young, attorney general weiser, secretary of state griswold, first gentleman reese, members of the state board of education,

justices of the colorado supreme court tribal treasurer turtle, members of the cabinet, denver mayor mike johnston, aurora mayor mike coffman, colorado springs mayor, fort collins mayor, u.s. attorney and of course all of the members of the colorado general assembly, there is a guide here for me because there is a few of you if you do and i'm not met yet. welcome. over the last year i've been thinking a lot about who we want to beat when our great state terns wonder to 50 years old, and just two years. as we envision our future together often a writer president kennedy's speech at rice university in 1962 it was there that he articulate his whole vision saying we choose to go to the moonsa in this decade not because it is easy.

but because it is hard. he took a seemingly impossible goal. who would think going to the moon something never attempted in human history and he made it a mission the moonshot goal as it came to be known to set a standard not just for the united states before the world. it ushered in a new era of american success and innovation. seven years later neil armstrong spoke those famous words one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. during the moonshot goal into mission accomplished. it was not easy. it was a vision to guide the way in the famous american work ethic, they got it done. throughout colorado's history we have often been the ones leading the change, blazing the trail, turning our dreams into reality. we have literally moved mountains using roads, tunnels, railroads of the seemingly an

tenable rockies where the very first date in america to pass voting rights for women through a vote of the people. [applause] that helped >> paul reynolds place is a state that not only cherishes and upholds rights and freedoms of its people but expands those rights in pursuit of a more perfect state and a more perfect nation. colorado's republican governor ralph carr stood virtually alone on high-ranking elected officials and opposing the forced relocation of japanese americans during world war ii on condemning racial prejudice. [applause] over the last five years with blaze new trails in colorado in early childhood education with the creation of free kindergarten and free universal preschool saving families thousands of dollars.

we have helped give more children a strong start in life. colorado was the first state to legalize recreational use of cannabis setting the standard for innovation, safety and economic mobility that is been replicated by state took across the nation andnd countries acros the world who come here to learn what colorado did write too. now, thanks to our voters we are once again leading the nation on natural medicine unfreezing 50 plus years of stifled research to learn about the potential benefits for the people of our state and beyond. we are hub for groundbreaking quantum industry with computing capabilities and job creation some of the most futuristic movies and novels of which i read and could not imagine at long last colorado is the rightful permanent home of us-based commands. [cheering]

and the ongoing presence of u.s. space command and colorado springs will help support and ensure our national security and the increasingly important space domain. all of this work at one point seemed hard. even pie in the sky. but we have proven that we can accomplish anything when we work together. as i look around this room i see a few of you who might have announced campaigns for other offices, we are sorry we risk losing you we want to keep you busy or whether it's congress, county commission mayor, city council i would to thank you for yourr, continued serve there's a bus about what might be next to me as well i don't pay much credence to it but nevertheless i'm ready to put an end to the speculation with the competition gearing up the next few weeks ii want to announce i am ready to try out for the colorado rockies the spring.

who needs legislation when you can have home runs and frankly we all know they could use the help. [laughter] all kidding aside together we can ensure our state remains the very best place to rate live a family to launch a business we can strengthen our dynamicic economy, create jobs to make colorado safer and we all know because the voters know and have told us we need to work to make colorado more affordable. [applause] together were can create more housing for colorado and increase access to convenient low-cost transit opportunities to improve our quality of life. make the future of our o state brighter and more livable. a better environment cleaner air and water a strong economy and better transportation the real-life situations that families face on a rent or

mortgage need no introduction or explanation to any of us because they loom large. we have our own personal friends and family network are colorado and's who are struggling to make the rent or mortgage every month. it's truly a matter of statewide concern. simply put we must create more housing in our state that colorado ends at all income levels can rent or buy and the in thecommunities where people o live near job opportunities that pay well. reducing housing costs we will also help decrease homelessness in our communities and you want to thank the mayors who were on the front lines of this issue and have joined us here today denver mayor mike johnson colorado springs mayor and fort collins mayor let's welcome them. [applause] i have been spending a lot of

time listening to colorado and's across the state. from it is no surprise that everywhere in our state the top issue is housing costs. i hear from parents who fear their children will never own a home in colorado and they are not alone 83% of colorado parents were their children will not be able to afford to live here. hear from boulder colorado and to feel that they won't be able to age in the communities that they call home will not be able to downsize because even though the house might increase in value, high interest rate and property taxes prevent them from affording even a smaller home. that is why i hope this session we can work to finally make the senior homestead exemption affordable. [applause] i also hear from young parents who want to raise their children

in a home of their own front line workers to teachers, firefighters, police officers, healthcare workers. i think our exceptional state workforce many of them cannot afford to live near the community they work they spent significant time andnd cost on e road getting to their jobs. i hear from business owners who cannot have a difficulty recruiting the talent they need. college students who sadly have lost hope and do not believe in home ownership will ever be a pt of the future. in our state this sense of hopelessness and despair around housing. it's someways how they feel about ourut divisiveness of national politics prince's start at 2022 higher interest rates and home values have driven the typical mortgage payment up by over 70% in income is simply not kept up. to do nothing would be, as spock would say highly illogical.

last year we took an important step in banning growth caps that outlawed new housing in our communities thanks to the leadership of representative and senator gonzales. i also signed executive order to remove bureaucratic barriers and cut through red tape reducing turnaround time on contracts and grants from the department of local affairs and the division of housing to 90 days. the state is putting our skin in the game doing our part to solve the housing crisis. and with your partnership we can and we will build on that progress together we can create a colorado where homeowners have the property rights and financial tools they need to build accessory dwelling unit also known as a granny flat or a mother-in-law cottage or an aging parent or long-term renter putting more housing supply that's inherently affordable feeling critical gaps in our communities near job centers. according to recent survey more

than 80% of colorado inns are supportive of allowing use in their communities. today were joined by somebody who showed success of accessory dwelling units. a colorado and who directly explains the benefit of adu's the ability to build and adu on his property with the denver housing authority has been a game changer for his family. increases property value created another lower cost housing option for the family of foy he is now renting to please join me in welcoming joseph is here today with his family. [applause] >> together we can help more colorado and make decisions that work best on for themselves and their families but create more

housing opportunities for others and i look forward to work with the sponsors who are leading the way in this exciting legislative effort. this session i'll be supportive of bills that reduce the cost of housing encourage innovative approaches like new financing strategies, easing the parking restrictions, tackling a liabily costs for multifamily condos reducing the cost of fire insurance especially in the face of increasing climate related disasters like the marshall fire which we just observe the second anniversary of i will be very skeptical of bills that would increase the cost of housing. as youco might be able to tell housing policy creates more affordable choices for colorado inns. in some ways it's might roman empire if you don't get the joke ask someone from generation z. any discriminatory occupancy on this especially hurt renters is another important way we can break down harmful barriers to housing and create more equity

and i would think representatives for taking on this important housing and civil rights issue. [applause] when it comes down to creating a colorado were people from all backgrounds can live in homes they can afford near accessible and reliable transportation options, buses, biking, walkable neighborhoods imagine leaving your home heading to the train supper but bus station a few blocks away maybe walker rager bike from there you right to work and iu know some of you do this you write to work in style because a schedule is reliable you know exactly whatle time you will catch the train or bus to come home later that day you can catch up on your favorite reading or get ahead of your work on the way. you don't have to worry whether you have enough gas for the roads are icy if you choose to drive a car there is less traffic. on the weekends use the same transit stop to head downtown to

see me play for the world series champion rockies or for dinner with your friends. because you live in a home you can afford your saving money on gas and car repairs and you can put that money towards other priorities. what a wonderful day and mr. rogers neighborhood and soon more neighborhoods across colorado. [applause] this is already happening communis like old town and downtown fort collins thriving downtown centers are built around business and commerce and transportation and housing. but we need more shining examples acrosshi our state. transit oriented communities can create a better future for our states and drive our prosperity and our enjoyments with less traffic, more housing people can actually afford, better air quality that we want to provide the tools to help communities to make it happen. this year i am excited about a

proposal in our budget that will help local governments build housing infrastructure and transit oriented neighborhoods by addressing construction hurdlesti like access to water, aging sewage and stormwater systems and by increasing opportunities for walking and biking, busting all forms of transportation. it's a start but we need a well-rounded approach that includes goals for housing that every community can work towards in their own way. these goals should consider jobs and costs in zoning capacity and transit areas in housing density and of course the factors like regional equity and infrastructure and water efficiency. we also need transit oriented housing policies and incentivize communities to notze only meet goals and provide accountability but rewards jurisdictions for going above and beyond. excited my budget also expands estate affordable housing tax credit providing crucial financial incentives for transit

areas that will help with affordability and built out this compelling division for quality of life. i want to think representatives judah t and woodrow, senator hanson sender winter for their t worked outk more colorado and live in transit oriented communities and achieve this powerful vision of more affordable housing and transit that works in our great state. [applause] this work is important. but in order to build more housing and have reliable transit we need you guessed it, transit that t works better. the distance the average colorado and drives for years increase more than 20% last three decades recent data shows commuters in denver were stuck in traffic for an average of 54 hours a year that's more than an entire work week just stuck in traffic i have experienced it and i know you have two. time is not the only thing getting wasted.

colorado winds are spent too much on gas to the tune of roughly $1800 per year per driver on average not to mention maintenance and depreciation costs. thanks to set it up to 60 from 2020 supercharged transportation funding for the state significant federal funding roads are finally getting better across the state of colorado but we are not done yet. we have the planes have the automobiles now we just need the trains. for too long passenger rail has been another moon shot out of reach foror too many people in r state. colorado inns love the idea but often many people believe it is not something you'll see in our lifetime. yes it is big and yes it is bold but i am here to tell you passenger rail service that works is within reach. agatha christie wrote to travel by train and seat nature and human beings and infect two-seat life. we have a vision for delivering front range and mountain rail that will create access points

across the states that connect people to more housing, more businesses, more jobs getting people places quicker and less expensivelyop. we are going to get it done. after years of waiting the pieces are falling into place the federal government has approved more than $66 billion that's billion with the be to create a world-class rail system for the country so it is not a question of if the united states will see a massive expansion of passenger rail but simply a question of whether colorado will seize this opportunity and get our share of the federal dollars to deliver passenger rail to the residents of our states. [applause] with existing tracks now

utilized mostly for commercial rail we have an opportunity to extend it daily schedule passenger rail service through the rocky mountains we need to take action to ensure we get train service from union station to west jefferson county winter park, steamboat springs and on a leadingn traffic intermountain quarter supporting more housing that is for affordable for the local workforce open coal -dependent communities strengthen and diversify their economies. to gather wey must also deliver on the unfulfilled fast track promise with service from union station to boulder. [applause] and not 2040, not 2030 something and of course unto loveland ink fort collins this is not pie-in-the-sky we can do this through a joint effort between

sida, the front range rail district we can start that a wok now. the problem of unfinished public transit in our state is simply going on far too long taxpayers are sick and tired of paying for serviceser that they are not getting. if we move boldly this session to seize unprecedented federal investments we can lock in transformational passenger rail opportunity in time for 150th birthday in 2026. the story of our state founding an hour early economic success is intertwined with historic railroadco expansion. just as our dreams for the future will be intertwined with the expansion of passenger rail in transit oriented communities. i look forward to partnering with senate president fen berg sandbergto ensure we take the opportunity to get this done. these efforts need to be combined with a more expansive statewide bus system, colorado's unique six citing successive

connects nearly 300,000 colorado inns already just last year across our state. that means 300,000 cars off the road and less traffic. this is a model we are continuing to expand we know we need to go further to improve convenience for all colorado wins to improve air quality and reduce traffic. it's not something we can do alone we need reliable regional transit organizations across our state including our major metropolitan areas. we can have access to better transportation options that truly meet the needs of colorado inns that requires us to reimagine what that means. and of course that means helping reimagine and support rtd estate investments like free fares for better air we are seeing some progress and increase ridership but we know there's more work to do. we need too re-examine and reimagine governance and operational efficiencies, expand

local partnerships, built on the work of the accountability committee and give transit gagencies all over our state te tools and structure and financial resources they need to deliver better services to more people creating transportation system that meets the needs of colorado ends while supporting a more housing near transportation hubs improving our air quality i look forward to work with senator winter representative lynn stat on a legislation to lt it done. g [applause] so we can actually deliver on the housing in transit the two are wedded together colorado wins are demanding. as yoda would say do or do not there is no try. [laughter] we must do. we must show colorado wins what it looks like when there's more housing for every budget and more convenient and lower cost mobility statewide for everyone.

nothing is more important to our fundamental health of our communities and public safety and want to take a moment to recognize the men and women in law enforcement and the members of the military that are here with us today if they could rise we can express our gratitude for their service. [applause]e] [applause] [applause] thank you for your work. we allr deserve to be safe whih is why our goal is to make colorado when the 10 safest states by 2027 i'll be supporting legislation to further that goal and be very skeptical of any legislation that would make colorado less safe. over the last few years we've made important investments in effectives locally driven effos including training and support

for local law enforcement which resulted in scholarships for 135 recruits 194 law enforcement recruitment events across the state. more than 900 training sessions and more than 400 community outreach events. through legislation led by senator former senator cook, senator wilt and representative valdes we've funded more than 50 initiatives throughout the state. use evidence-based strategies to make our community safer such as crime prevention violence interrupter efforts law enforcement committee outreach, crisis intervention, mentoring, co- response models, and recovery, housing to use a few data-driven models at work early data shows a downward trend in violent crime which is why this year we went to continue these investments to create safer coloradodo communities for everyone. last year with the leadership of senator gardner, senator bridges, representative byrd,

representative soper, and others we took important steps to correct theft. on a car stone impacts employment and healthcare and childcare and many aspects of daily life it's more than a simple property w gone we invesd in technology to locate and return stolen vehicles we strengthen dedicated auto theft task force we provided more money for district attorneys to successfully prosecute the criminals responsible and we took action to make criminal penalties tougher for auto theft by limiting the value of the vehicle from consideration. i amm proud to report she we are starting to move the right direction. as of september of last year colorado has seen a 21% year-over-year reduction in stolen vehicles a 27% reduction in the city of denver driven by major reduction of auto theft at denver international airport. [applause]

and we need to do more. ongoing data-driven investments in reducing auto theft are absently critical to continue to fight all of the crimes associated with auto theft and the difficulty that it causes for our victims. we are also actively involved in helping victims of crime get back on their feet providing additional funding to help people get the support and the resources they need to recover and to heal you recoat called on the delegation for crime act and i especially admire it and appreciate majority leader durand continue advocacy for this important work and look for to the partnership in the session ahead. [applause] sadly, and the last few months there hasn't been a dramatic increase in horrific acts of

hate across the world including here at home in colorado. between october 7 and january 7 the anti-defamation league recorded 360% increase in anti-semitic incidents nationwide. the rise in anti-semitism, islam a phobia and hate in all of its forms is simply unacceptable in the state of colorado. [applause] [applause] colorado is a state that welcomes everyone no matter your country, your background, where or how you worship, who you love it. every single person has the right to feel safe at home in their community and yes in their place of worship. so we called upon this body to help protect nonprofit organizations and religious institutions like temples and

mosques featuring the heightened risk of targeted hate and violence. i want to thank the joint budget committee for taking swift action to provide additional funding for this work last month and ik am proud to report we've already gotten the money out. [applause] today we are joined by educators from beth at jacob high school of denver the islamic center of fort collins both of which receive funding supported by the state of colorado and are using it to make security improvements and a better protect their communities please join me in welcoming them here today. [applause] it goes beyond simple funding which helps. they tell me about the windows they've installed, cameras, and the steps they can take to

protect congregants. it's all about efforts to root out hate altogether. colorado is leading the nation in our work to prevent gun violence, whether it is strengthening red flag laws, establishing waiting periods, requiring safe storage of firearms if kids are in the household, or the work on banning ghost guns. we are a model for the nation in practical, commonsense solutions to reduce gun violence while protecting our cherished second amendment rights. i want to thank fellow legislators for their [applause] to build on this work we are proposing additional investments to prevent convicted felons from illegally purchasing firearms.

each year thousands who are prohibited from purchasing a firearm triedan to do so illegay and we do stand firm and crack down on illegal firearm activity working with u.s. attorney general and district attorneys across the state to get it done while supporting our rural offices. all this work supports safe and thriving communities helping us reachup our goal of becoming one of b the safest states and we kw another element is a strong education system that serves everybody and provides opportunity to everyone. [applause]po education is a universal key. opening the doors we never knew existed to the deepest oceans catapulting us to the moon. education opens our eyes and

invites usn. to dream big dreams and give us the tools to turn those into reality. education as you know has long been a passion of mine and i know it is a passion shared with many in the room today. with of the leadership of the senators to ensure more than 300,000 colorado children have healthy males throughout summer. [applause] we are saving families thousands of dollarsav per year. i spent a lot of time in classrooms across the state where i hear from educators and students about what preschool means to them. we have a child right there,

that is the granddaughter in preschool and about three years. helped propel colorado from 26 the eighth in just one year. [applause] i want to thank the voters of the state and of course the new ballot initiative with more than two thirds of the vote and passing people think kids ought to be able to go to preschool. i want to thank in addition tos the voters the legislative champions for their incredible leadership that helped bring preschool to light and make it work and i'm proud a few months ago colorado voters passed

proposition dedicated to an additional $23.7 million toon preschool expanding hours and making preschool even better for next year. [applause] about 40,000 kids are enrolled saving each family more than 6,000 per year and i am proud of what's going on across the state in public education. i'm proud of the bright spot award winners with major increases in student achievement in areas like math and science in these challenging years for education. of these schools are models and others can follow and we want to help give them the support and funding theynd need to serve evn more students into share their successes. please join me in welcoming principles and educators from two bright spot award winners who are here today, a bright

spot award winner. [applause] we have a lot to learn in schools across the state have a lot to learn. last year we passed bipartisan legislation to help more students and educators access the resources they need after school hours to improve math achievements including more hours focused on strengthening their skills thanks to the leadership of the representative and now we want to work with you to expandor opportunities for science achievement asrt well. important for kids success

in colorado success in the second 150 years working to get that done but our work is far from finished. this year thanks to the leadership of the people in this room and after a decade, more than a decade, we are finally eliminating the budget stabilization factor. [applause] with of course a plan to continue that investment. to this historic investment means an additional $705 per student on average about 15,500 more with 22 kids on top of last years in greece more than a thousand dollars per student made possible by this legislature. a better teacher pay, expanded learning opportunities for

students, professional development aligned with successful outcomes and better resources for our classrooms. with the budget stabilization buydown from the general general assembly, we will also achieve full equalization for charter school in colorado. [applause] this has been a long time coming and we are thrilled to fulfill the commitment to voters and entered a new era of full education funding in the state of colorado. just as we continue investing in students from preschool through high school, we also need to continue to invest in the success of lifelong learners after graduation, powering our economic growth and preparing people of all ages for successful careers. right now there's about two job opportunities and we want every person in colorado to have a good life and career on their

own terms. we areoo creating many different ways to do that from concurrent enrollment to low-cost credentialing with the leadership ofnt the speaker and representative we've expanded extendedfree community and techl colleges which has already served more than 3500 to help them enter a career that will succeed and one that we needed to fill open positions we've also partnered with businesses and created a scholarship program to support. innovation and education and we are working to keep tuition low through innovation and greater efficiency and thanks to the representative and senator roberts we are developing the

next generation of farmers and ranchers to the agricultural workforce development program helping young people particularly in rural areas get real world experience working on a farm or ranch through a paid apprenticeship but we know that we need to go further. [applause] and innovate even more increasing the number of state sigovernment apprenticeships by 50% of supporting the creation of 100 new apprenticeship opportunities in the private sector by june 30th of this year, and these actions translate to more jobs where coloradans can learn, saving money on education or training, helping companies fill available jobs, stronger businesses, stronger economyob and better earning potential for our residents. we also want to continue the

opportunity thanks to the speaker to help blur the lines between k-12 higher education and employers and guarantees are on track to serve 10,000 coloradans in industries like construction, healthcare, education and early childhood. we areti just getting started ad soon with the work of the representative, we can create even more ways for coloradans to become skilled constructionol workers and plumbers, pipefitters, electricians and more earning a good living and empowering ourwe economy. colorado is truly becoming a national leader and by innovating, innovating, we will continue to save coloradans money while strengthening the workforce for more prosperous future. [applause]us we are also continuing the important and critical work of saving people money on

healthcare h which after housing is the second largest cost that coloradans face. since day one of my administration starting with the creation of the office of saving people money on healthcare we've been taking on the special interest into tackling the true cost drivers in healthcare. our work to save people money on healthcare. [applause] thisis has led to historic successes including the bipartisan reinsurance and the colorado option both of which have been cost-saving game changers for people in the states since the creation of reinsurance to save thousands of dollars for families and nearly $26,000 since 2020 thanks to

reinsurance and more than $18,000. that's real money and i want to thank the legislators who want to make the savings possible. other statesss even the federal government are taking notice and modeling their own efforts after colorado's. we've also capped the cost of insulin thanks to the leadership of the senator. we know that our work isn't done. [applause] k prescription drugs still account forpr a significant portion of health care costs in colorado and across the country. the simple truth is that coloradans and people across the united states are tired of being ripped off for the prices of medications that cost a fraction of the amount in other nations. spending on presti in the u.s. is double that of

other countries with 10% of coloradans unable to fill a prescription because of cost. that's why we continue urging the fda to approve the applicationn to reduce lower cot prescription drugs by importing prescription drugs from canada and why the prescription drug affordability is so vital to thisab work. we are also proposing more support for the individuals to provide home-based care helping more connect to services through better technology and especially as we approach what would have been the 51st anniversary of roe v wade. i appreciate the steps the general assembly has taken to protect the decisions including abortion remindingng us all that coloradans value the freedom to make our own choices. [applause]

we also need greater access for behavioral healthcare and to build on the success champion our budget calls for more support for behavioral health. a better autism care for youth, expanded care for the youth facing acute and severe behavioral health challenges, investments in mental health support for our rural and agricultural communities into those involved in the criminal justice system part of a healthy

life means a healthy environment in colorado we are an example to the nation of how to protect the natural world around us and combat the impact of a changing climate. we are already on track to exceed our goal of 80% clean energy by 2030 just six years from now. [applause]ju we have one of the most ambitious strategies in the country to reduce pollution from the oil and gas and transportation industries including achieving electric vehicle sales that are six times higher than when i took office ander we look forward to working with the legislature to advance the request to further improve quality utilizing the recommendations from environmental justice advocates. my administration delivered 95% of the actions outlined in the onfirst greenhouse gas reduction

roadmap and we will be reducing 40 new actions. we also are grateful that we have federal funding to achieve these goals even faster thanks to the work of the united states congress and president biden. [applause] now we need to cut the red tape that is holding back the local investment and unprecedented federal resources and renewable and clean energy including transmission lines more quickly, renewable energy development, quicker storing carbon dioxide pollution and we are excited about legislation to expedite these critical clean energy projects hand-in-hand with our claimant work is the leadership on protecting and conserving our

wildlife and wild places. we will continue to take bold action to protect our cherished public land and colorado was finally factored since it's long been neglected like tracking the rate of year-to-year biodiversity laws and improving soil healthy and focusing on ecosystem, resiliency within ever-changing climate. we are strengthening the biodiversity and restoring balance to the ecosystems by bringing back species like the blackm footed ferret and as of mid-december we successfully met the voter mandated deadline for the reintroduction in the state. [applause] we also need to protect the progress by continuing to invest in nonlethal conflict minimization that works to help the farmers and ranchers thrive

in this inclusive future. colorado parks and wildlife into the department of natural resources and department of agricultural play key roles and we need your help to continue supporting their work to reduce a minimize conflict with wildlife. we've also invested nearly 300 million into the precious water resources towards implementation of the visionary colorado water plan and remain committedai to defending colorado's interest and rights in the river negotiations. [applause]e] all of this work from protecting the environment and wildlife to the education workforce and public safety with a stronger and better colorado where everyone can get ahead and in addition to these efforts we need to continue to work to strengthen the economy and help

people hold onto more of their hard-earned money. thanks to the amazing success, wes, are well on our way towards another record year. a healthy surplus is of course the site of a strong economy and a sign that it is simply too high. tax relief is the best mechanism to relieve cost-of-living pressure and spur economic growth for everyone in the state. one of the secrets to the success is whenever there was a surplus after paying for the senior homestead property tax exemption and now we also pay for making it affordable, there was an automatic income tax got the following year and that happened during the first two

years of my administration. but now since, we've permanently reduced that and that particular mechanism is no longer active. and i know that a couple making if you democrats in the past have been skeptical of reducing the income tax rate but cutting the income tax rate is the most effective way to further our economic growth. [applause] in myuh 2020 state of the state address i echoed with president kennedy and obama called ford cutting thede income tax rate, d the people of the state delivered twice and i thank them. president kennedy didn't just launch, he developedes the largt income tax cut in the history of arthe united states saying that income taxes were too heavy of a drag on drugs and reduced the financial incentives for personalal efforts investments d risk-taking into those cuts

helped spur america's astronomic growth. of course cutting the income tax rate isn't a panacea but to spur continued growth should be part of any significant progressive reforms. isn't that great we got applause from nobody. .[laughter] it's[l a compromise. work together. likewise we know the property taxes are a part of what is driving up the cost of living in colorado so let me take ' moment to commend the general assembly for your hard work during the session to reduce property tax rates thanks to your efforts receiving the money in the short term as we work together towards a long-term replacement to keep property taxes low and i urge you to do as much as you can to reduce property taxes this session. [applause]

republicans who've been rightly supportive of providing an income tax cut through the rebates and beyond, and i thank you, have at times used the surplus for property tax relief as well but unfortunately during the special session i believe that's shortsighted because we should use every tool we have to reduce property taxes while minimizing any harm to local services like protections and school districts. [applause] this work needs more money in andcoloradans pockets and a m stronger economy in a more affordable colorado. as demonstrated by the healthy surplus, taxes are simply too high. income taxes, property taxes and the states sales tax. we ignore that signal and i challenge democrats and republicans to work together to improve our economic growth and success by not taking taxes we can't keep any way and instead

working on a bold and balanced packaging including cutting the income tax rate. [applause] and while we might not agree on everything i want to talk about something we can all agree on. the refunds must remain free of federal taxes as they have for 30 years. [applause] and i want to thank senator bennett and others for this continued work. we are working closely with the irs and are steadfast in our commitment to help coloradans keep more of their hard-earned money. when i first ran for governor, i envisioned a colorado where everyone can thrive and we are guided by the same mission today no matter who you are, no matter who you love, no matter your

faith, where you came from, what you look like, regardless your age or status, how long you've been here, whether you just arrive' or have been here for generations. you belong. and as we get closer to the 115th birthday. remember we all need to learn sesquicentennial. i know we all want to help. everyone get ahead in our state and that means applying colorado for all to every facet of our lives, healthcare, housing, transportation, education, careers, public safety and more. it means continuing to listen to one another and having the tough conversations around the issues that matter the most. that's what the disagreed that are an initiative is all about as the vice chair of the national governors association, i worked alongside the chair on this important effort. it'son not about agreeing on evy issue.

for instance, the governor and i can't seem to agree on which state has better skiing even though it's obviously colorado. [laughter] [applause] what it's about how we can disagree better. this isgr something colorado is particularly good at but the skills are challenged both between and within our own political parties especially as we feeles the vitriol of the national politics. too often it can feel that our disagreements are what define us and the gap can seem daunting and too big to close. as arthur brooks wrote almost no one is ever insulted into agreement. it's a very important lesson. as highlighted by our leaders yesterday the speaker and there opening day remarks will lose that ability to listen to one another to see the cracks in our

democracy and civilhe society widening and we've let opportunities pass us by. let me be clear this isn't just some feel-good initiative or hollow exercise. our very democracy depends on people being able tods disagree with one another passionately, emphatically, and still be able to work together with mutual respect and dignity. when that is no longer possible, when policy arguments become personal attacks and people start to paint the other side not as colleagues who happen to disagree, but as enemies, we are entering very dangerous territory. here in this building, we've seen how listening to one another and having thoughtful conversations can impact our relationships and createti bettr policies for our state. we share the same goals for a strong colorado so let's use these next four months to really

work together to disagree better, to show the nation how it's done the colorado way. it's work isn't easy. [applause] the baby's back. if it were easy it would have been done already but here in colorado we dream, we dare and we do and this year we choose once again to tackle what is hard but truly challenges us as president kennedy said not because it is easy but because it's hard. so as we prepare for the year ahead, knowep that this state is strong. when we work together, when we disagree better, nothing is

beyond our reach. thank you. god bless you all. god bless colorado and god bless the united states of america. [applause]

a healthy democracy doesn't just look like this. it looks like this. where americans can see democracy at work, citizens are truly informed and the republic can thrive. get informed straight from the sources on c-span. unfiltered, unbiased, word for word from the nation's capital to wherever you are, because the opinion that matters the most is your own. this is what democracy looks