We’re heading back to work at the State Capitol to begin the annual 120-day legislative session. After a tumultuous 2024 election season, it is now time to put politics aside, work together and get things done that improve the lives of Coloradans. I’m ready to get going!

I consider it a privilege to carry the hopes, challenges and ideas of my constituents into my work as your State Senator. Each year, the period between legislative sessions gives me the opportunity to spend time with all of you, travel to the most amazing parts of Colorado, and let my constituents tell me what we should focus on in Denver. Over the last several months, I held town hall meetings in every one of the 10 counties I represent, toured new affordable housing developments and local schools and spoke with leaders and engaged citizens across the region about the issues that matter to them most.

Here’s what I will be working on as the session gets underway: 

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Affordability 

Over the last few years, our mountain and rural communities have seen unprecedented state support come our way to help local efforts to build and maintain more affordable housing — and it’s working! Projects are breaking ground and families are moving into homes that allow them to live and work in the communities we all love. This state support is thanks to bills I have passed, the voter-approved Proposition 123 funds, and innovative public-private partnerships. Yet, there is still so much more we need to do to make sure individuals and families can afford a place to call home and make ends meet.

That’s why my first bill of the year will again be a bipartisan affordable housing effort. The bill proposes to facilitate below-market investment by the State of Colorado in Colorado Housing Finance Authority bonds, the proceeds of which will be used to buy down construction costs and mortgage interest costs to facilitate more affordable homeownership development in our state. Building more “starter homes” is key to giving hardworking Coloradans the opportunity to own a home, accumulate generational wealth and prosper in our state. 

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I’m also planning to sponsor legislation that will lower the cost of prescription drugs, reduce the cost of homeowners insurance and provide crucial utilities assistance to low-income rural residents so that we can all afford to keep our homes safe and warm. This session, we must be laser-focused on saving Coloradans money. 

Other Local Priorities

Other pieces of legislation I am planning to introduce are based on ideas directly from folks in my district — thank you for being a part of your citizen-driven legislature! 

I will have a bill to increase the number of judges in Colorado to help relieve the extensive backlog in our court system which is delaying justice and negatively impacting crime victims. 

Another bill will ensure communities and counties experiencing energy transition have more input on how relief funds are spent to maximize impact. We’re also working on legislation to ensure that our rural health centers get more support so that you can get the care you need close to home.

As another winter on I-70 and mountain highways proves challenging for road safety and traffic jams, we’ll be looking to build on my bill from last year that enacted chain-carrying requirements for commercial vehicles and left-lane restrictions on the most dangerous parts of I-70. The new bill will help more people get chained-up and ensure rental-car customers are aware of our state’s already-strict traction laws. I’ll also be working with colleagues on ways to increase cell phone coverage in rural Colorado — an issue I hear about from constituents frequently. 

As always, I’m also working hard on a few pieces of legislation to protect our state’s water and promote our agriculture — both issues that are the lifeblood of the district I represent. We’ll be looking to better plan for the water funding we know we need to fund our state’s water conservation needs, getting resources and protections in place for ranchers dealing with the voter-imposed reintroduction of wolves that are killing their livestock, and securing permanent investment in habitat protection for our hunters, anglers and everyone who values our great outdoors and public lands. 

Balancing Our State Budget

While our state economy is doing well, new commitments from the November ballot and rising Medicaid costs, alongside TABOR protections and uncertainty around federal funding, means that we are headed into a legislative session where we will need to make significant cuts. A balanced budget is one of the legislature’s constitutional obligations, and this year it will undoubtedly require hard decisions. I am committed to protecting state investments in education and health care and ensuring that our limited funds are spent wisely where they will bring us the greatest benefit. 

Hearing from constituents is especially important throughout the legislative session. Please join me for an upcoming town hall meeting, or as always, you can contact me directly at SenatorDylanRoberts@gmail.com or 970-846-3054.

Dylan Roberts is the State Senator for Clear Creek, Eagle, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt and Summit counties.