DENVER – Today, Senate Democrats blocked two Republican bills that would have kept over $1,500 in the wallets of hardworking Coloradans– once again proving their disregard for the state’s dire financial realities.
Senate Bill 139, championed by Senator Mark Baisley, would have lowered the cost of groceries for each Colorado family by as much as $1,450 per year, while Senator Janice Rich’s Senate Bill 156 would have rekindled Colorado’s economic vibrancy by cutting egregious and burdensome bureaucratic regulations.
The average Colorado household is currently paying $1,329 more on necessities today than they were in 2021, according to the U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of groceries has increased by 25% since 2020.
Senator Baisley’s Senate Bill 139 would have cut these rising costs for Colorado families by eliminating fees on grocery bags, gas and electric bills, and on garbage disposal. The bill would have also made statutory changes that could have opened the door for the development of safe, emission free, and affordable modular nuclear energy.
“Don’t let the Democrats fool you into thinking they care about the rising cost of living caused by their disastrous policies,” Senator Baisley said. “They have made it clear that funding their costly bureaucracy is more important to them than ensuring Colorado families are financially secure. My bill would have eliminated costly fees and created a path for substantial future savings. I’m disappointed- but not surprised- that the Democrats chose to kill it.”
A 2024 study from the Colorado Chamber of Commerce found that Colorado is the 6th most regulated state in the country, with 45% of Colorado’s 200,000 regulations being either redundant or duplicative. Business owners revealed in a Chamber of Commerce survey that excessive regulation was their top concern regarding Colorado’s business landscape.
Senator Rich’s Senate Bill 156 would have reinvigorated the financial prosperity of Colorado’s economy by cutting some of the more excessive and costly regulations passed by Democrats over the years.
“Colorado’s businesses, large and small, are feeling the strain of these crushing Democrat-created regulations,” Senator Rich said. “Colorado’s businesses are worried about their future- they are worried about how they are going to keep their doors open. My bill was a simple solution that would have reversed the damage done and put the wind back in the sails of our economy. Unfortunately, we are missing a significant opportunity to restore the vitality of our state’s economy because the Democrats opted to kill my bill.”
Senate Bills 139 and 156 are part of the Colorado Senate Republicans’ 2025 legislative agenda that, if passed in its entirety, would have saved the average Colorado family $4,500 per year. One of these bills, Senate Bill 131, which will save the average Colorado family over $2,600 per year on the cost of housing, will be considered in the Democrats’ “kill committee” in the coming weeks. This may be the last opportunity that Coloradans will have to speak out on affordability until next year’s legislative session, making it crucial that as many Coloradans as possible sign up to testify.
You can sign up to testify here.
###