Colorado 2025 Legislative Session Highlights Impacting Insurance and Public Funding
The 2025 legislative session in Colorado, concluding after 120 days on May 7, involved key discussions impacting insurance, education, housing, and public safety. House Speaker Julie McCluskie emphasized successful passage of the K-12 School Finance Act, increasing funding for most school districts, especially rural ones struggling with costs.
She also sponsored legislation to increase tax revenue from sports betting towards water projects, reflecting water security's priority. A proposed homeowners insurance stabilization bill involving a reinsurance fund funded by a 1% fee on premiums failed, though another measure enhancing wildfire risk premium transparency passed to help homeowners reduce costs through mitigation efforts. Senator Dylan Roberts focused on affordable housing financing, water funding, and public safety road improvements, though a car insurance fee-funded road safety bill aimed at protecting pedestrians, cyclists, and wildlife was defeated.
Republican Senator Marc Catlin, representing a diverse Western Slope district, worked on bipartisan bills addressing tire chain assistance for mountain truckers, frivolous 911 call reduction, and privacy for ranchers affected by wolf attacks. Representative Elizabeth Velasco advocated for expanded immigrant protections limiting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and intends to revisit fire mitigation and outdoor worker safety bills pending in a challenging budget environment. Representative Meghan Lukens, chairing the House Education Committee, helped secure increased K-12 education funding including elimination of the budget stabilization factor and introduced a fund to assist teacher homeownership.
She also co-sponsored efforts to improve wildlife-related road safety. The session faced a $1.2 billion state budget shortfall, influencing funding decisions and legislative priorities across sectors. The insurance sector was notably affected by wildfire-related risks and costs, with lawmakers pursuing policy tools for market stabilization and increased transparency to manage premium affordability and accessibility.