2026 Colorado legislative session

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2026 Colorado legislative session
General information
Scheduled session start:    Jan. 14, 2026 Scheduled session end:    May 13, 2026
Leadership
Senate President James Coleman (D) House Speaker Julie McCluskie (D) Majority Leader Senate: Robert Rodriguez (D) House: Monica Duran (D) Minority Leader Senate: Cleave Simpson Jr. (R) House: Jarvis Caldwell (R)
Elections
Next Election:    November 3, 2026 Last Election:    November 5, 2024
Previous legislative sessions
2025 • 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018
Other 2026 legislative sessions
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In 2026, the Colorado State Legislature is scheduled to convene on January 14, 2026, and adjourn on May 13, 2026.

The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2024 elections. Democrats won a 23-12 majority in the Senate and a 43-22 majority in the House. The party also controlled the governorship, creating a Democratic state government trifecta. At the start of the 2026 session, Colorado was one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.

At the beginning of the 2026 legislative session:

Democrats held a majority in the Colorado state House and state Senate.

Colorado was one of 16 Democratic state government trifectas.

Colorado's governor was Democrat Jared Polis.

Leadership in 2026

Colorado State Senate

• Senate president: James Coleman (D)
• Majority leader: Robert Rodriguez (D)
• Minority leader: Cleave Simpson Jr. (R)

Colorado House of Representatives

• Speaker of the House: Julie McCluskie (D)
• Majority leader: Monica Duran (D)
• Minority leader: Jarvis Caldwell (R)

Partisan control in 2026

See also: State government trifectas

Colorado was one of 16 Democratic state government trifectas at the start of 2026 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.

Colorado was also one of 23 state legislatures where neither party had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.

The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Colorado State Legislature in the 2026 legislative session.

Colorado State Senate

Partisan composition, Colorado State Senate

As of January 2026
Party	Members
Democratic	23
Republican	12
Other	0
Vacancies	0
Total	35

Colorado House of Representatives

Partisan composition, Colorado House of Representatives

As of January 2026
Party	Members
Democratic	41
Republican	22
Other	0
Vacancies	2
Total	65

Regular session

The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2026 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation has met these criteria yet in 2026. This information is provided by BillTrack50.

Standing legislative committees

See also: Standing committee and List of committees in Colorado state government

A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.

At the beginning of the 2026 legislative session, there were 35 standing committees in Colorado's state government, including 15 joint legislative committees, 10 state Senate committees, and 10 state House committees.

Joint legislative committees

• Capital Development Committee
• Capitol Building Advisory Committee
• Colorado Commission on Uniform State Laws
• Colorado Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee
• Commission on Property Tax
• Executive Committee
• Joint Budget Committee
• Legal Services Committee
• Legislative Audit Committee
• Legislative Council Committee
• Legislative Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Committee
• Statutory Revision Committee
• Technology Committee
• Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal Justice System Committee
• Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee

Senate committees

• Business, Labor, and Technology Committee
• Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
• Senate Appropriations Committee
• Senate Education Committee
• Senate Finance Committee
• Senate Health and Human Services Committee
• Senate Judiciary Committee
• Senate Local Government and Housing Committee
• Senate State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee
• Transportation and Energy Committee

House committees

• Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Committee
• Energy and Environment Committee
• Health and Health Services Committee
• House Appropriations Committee
• House Business Affairs and Labor Committee
• House Education Committee
• House Finance Committee
• House Judiciary Committee
• State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee
• Transportation, Housing, and Local Government Committee

Legislatively referred constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods by which the Colorado Constitution can be amended:

See also: Section 1 of Article V and Article XIX of the Colorado Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Colorado

Colorado Constitution
Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX • XXI • XXII • XXIII • XXIV • XXV • XXVI • XXVII • XXVIII • XXIX • Schedule

The Colorado Constitution provides three mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention. Once on the ballot, a 55 percent supermajority vote is required for the approval of any constitutional amendment put on the ballot by the legislature or by a citizen initiative, except those that only remove language from the constitution, rather than adding language or changing existing language.

Initiative

See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

In Colorado, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 5% of the votes cast for the Colorado secretary of state in the preceding general election. Colorado has a distribution requirement for initiated amendments. Signatures must be collected from at least 2% of the registered voters who live in each of the 35 state Senate districts. A 55% vote is required for voter approval.

Combined initiated constitutional amendments and state statutes

See also: Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute

A combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends both a state's constitution and state statute. There are at least two (2) states that allow citizens to initiate combined amendments and statutes.

In Colorado, the number of signatures required for a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast for the Colorado secretary of state in the preceding general election. Colorado has a distribution requirement for initiated amendments. Signatures must be collected from at least 2% of the registered voters who live in each of the 35 state Senate districts. A 55% vote is required for voter approval.

Legislature

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Colorado State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 44 votes in the Colorado House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Colorado State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to Article XIX of the Colorado Constitution, the state Legislature can refer a state constitutional convention question to the ballot. A two-thirds (66.67%) vote of legislators in each chamber is required.

Historical partisan control

The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Colorado.

Colorado Party Control: 1992-2025
Thirteen years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Historical Senate control

Democrats won control of the Colorado State Senate in 2018. In 2024, they won a 23-12 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Colorado Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Colorado State Senate election results: 1992-2024

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20	'22	'24
Democrats	16	16	15	14	18	17	18	20	21	20	19	17	17	19	20	23	23
Republicans	19	19	20	21	17	18	17	15	14	15	16	18	18	16	15	12	12

Before 1992

Between 1900 and 2022, the chamber changed partisan hands 14 times.

Historical House control

Democrats won control of the Colorado House of Representatives in 2012. In 2024, they won a 43-22 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Colorado House following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Colorado House of Representatives election results: 1992-2024

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20	'22	'24
Democrats	31	24	24	26	27	28	33	39	38	32	37	34	37	41	41	46	43
Republicans	34	41	41	39	38	37	32	26	27	33	28	31	28	24	24	19	22

Before 1992

Between 1900 and 2022, the chamber changed partisan hands 19 times.

Analysis

Adopted legislation, 2011-2024

See also: The State Legislative Decade - Colorado

In 2024, Ballotpedia released analysis of bills enacted in each state in the preceding decade. The charts and table below detail legislation passed each year by party sponsorship.

See also

Elections	Colorado State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Colorado State Senate elections, 2026 Colorado House of Representatives elections, 2026	Colorado State Legislature Colorado House of Representatives Colorado State Senate Governor of Colorado Colorado Supreme Court	State legislative elections, 2026 State legislative special elections, 2026 State legislative elections, 2024 State legislative elections, 2022	State government trifectas State government triplexes Veto overrides in state legislatures State executives State courts Ballot measures

External links

• Search Google News for this topic
• Colorado General Assembly homepage

Footnotes

State legislatures

Legislatures

Alabama (H, S) · Alaska (H, S) · Arizona (H, S) · Arkansas (H, S) · California (A, S) · Colorado (H, S) · Connecticut (H, S) · Delaware (H, S) · Florida (H, S) · Georgia (H, S) · Hawaii (H, S) · Idaho (H, S) · Illinois (H, S) · Indiana (H, S) · Iowa (H, S) · Kansas (H, S) · Kentucky (H, S) · Louisiana (H, S) · Maine (H, S) · Maryland (H, S) · Massachusetts (H, S) · Michigan (H, S) · Minnesota (H, S) · Mississippi (H, S) · Missouri (H, S) · Montana (H, S) · Nebraska · Nevada (A, S) · New Hampshire (H, S) · New Jersey (GA, S) · New Mexico (H, S) · New York (A, S) · North Carolina (H, S) · North Dakota (H, S) · Ohio (H, S) · Oklahoma (H, S) · Oregon (H, S) · Pennsylvania (H, S) · Rhode Island (H, S) · South Carolina (H, S) · South Dakota (H, S) · Tennessee (H, S) · Texas (H, S) · Utah (H, S) · Vermont (H, S) · Virginia (H, S) · Washington (H, S) · West Virginia (H, S) · Wisconsin (A, S) · Wyoming (H, S)

2026

State legislative elections (2026) • State legislative special elections (2026) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2026 Session Dates

2025

State legislative elections (2025) • State legislative special elections (2025) • Primary dates and filing requirements • 2025 Session Dates

Historical elections

2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2012 • 2011 • 2010 • 2009 • 2008 • 2007 • 2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000

Features of state legislatures

How vacancies are filled in state legislatures • States with a full-time legislature • State legislatures with term limits • Comparison of state legislative salaries • When state legislators assume office after a general election • Population represented by state legislators • State constitutional articles governing state legislatures • State legislative sessions • Resign-to-run law • State legislature candidate requirements by state • Official names of state legislatures • State legislative chambers that use multi-member districts • Factors Affecting Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections

State senates

Length of terms of state senators • State senators • Partisan composition of state senates • State senators sorted by year first elected

State houses

Length of terms of state representatives • State representatives • Partisan composition of state houses • State representatives sorted by year first elected

Leadership positions

President of the Senate • President Pro Tempore • Senate Majority Leader • Senate Minority Leader • House Majority Leader • House Minority Leader • State Speaker of the House

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