DENVER—As the state legislature prepares to convene on January 14, the Colorado Chamber of Commerce is urging lawmakers to “do no harm.” The business group’s recently released 2026 legislative agenda makes the case, among a host of other priorities, that a growing regulatory burden is hampering economic growth.
The Chamber last year released a study counting over 200,000 regulations, making Colorado the sixth most regulated state in the nation. Colorado also ranks among the most expensive states, as homeownership, cost of living, businesses, and employment suffer.
“We know that this growing regulatory burden continues to hold us back, limiting our growth and ability to attract businesses to the state,” notes Loren Furman, CEO of the Chamber, “Our ‘Do No Harm’ approach remains our priority when it comes to new costly regulations and mandates.”
The Chamber also prioritizes deregulating Colorado energy, environment, labor, and legal spaces. Cost of living, tax competitiveness, protecting and building the state’s workforce, tech innovation and economic growth are also emphasized.
Energy
When it comes to energy policy, for example, recommendations include implementing periodic regulation evaluation, as well as policies that accelerate the permitting process. The document goes on to oppose legislation that further increases energy cost or puts the energy grid at risk.
Jake Folgleman, director of policy at the free-market Independence Institute (also the publisher of Complete Colorado), says the Chamber is on the right track.
“The Colorado Chamber rightly recognizes that the state’s regulatory environment has become increasingly hostile to affordable and reliable energy. Streamlining permitting and resisting goalpost-shifting policies that raise costs or jeopardize grid reliability is basic common sense,” Fogleman told Complete Colorado.
The Chamber plans to do so by pushing utilization of electronic permitting in state agencies, opposing Colorado’s 100% clean energy mandate by 2040 proposal, and oppose regulatory limits for energy sector manufacturers and businesses.
“If Colorado wants to remain economically competitive and keep the lights on, it must stop punishing energy providers and ratepayers,” Fogleman concludes.
Cost of living
Colorado currently ranks 47th (50 being the worst) in cost of living, which has resulted in rising homeowners’ insurance, childcare, healthcare costs, as well as seemingly never-ending tax and fee increases.
This upcoming session, the Chamber plans to oppose legislation that increases healthcare costs for businesses or allows the government to tax short-term rentals, levy vacancy taxes, real estate transfer fees, or new taxes that increase the cost of business.
The Chamber says it will advance policies that lower homeowners’ insurance costs, currently ranked 4thhighest in the nation, by mitigating damage expenses through a tax-exempt savings account.
“Modeled after successful hurricane damage mitigation programs in other states, the proposal would allow homeowners to establish tax-exempt savings accounts for such expenses,” the agenda reads in part.
Nash Herman, fiscal policy analysist at Independence Institute, lauds the Chamber’s goals for cutting down regulatory red tape.
“The Chamber’s legislative agenda for 2026 is spot on. The Chamber is fully aware that the state’s overburdensome regulatory climate, high cost of living, and lack of economic competitiveness should be a central focus for the 2026 session.”
Herman continues that the agenda, while promising, will not be easily attained.
“The Chamber will face an uphill battle with this legislature, as many of its members actively push for anti-business policies and will work to kill most of the Chamber-supported bills that would benefit Coloradans.”
Workforce & tech innovation
Under the heading of “protect workers from unintended consequences of labor Regulations,” the Chamber’s agenda urges preservation of the Colorado Labor Peace Act, which guides formation of private-sector unions and dues deductions, and oppose attempts to disrupt the balance between business and labor. The agenda highlights efforts to “oppose job killers” by identifying proposals that drive jobs and businesses out of the state.
The Chamber’s Tech Alliance says it will support policies that encourage growth of the tech sector. 47,440 jobs were created by the tech industry according to the Chamber’s data, which they believe will drive business and economic success.
Governor Polis appointed the Chamber to the Artificial Intelligence Working Group to provide guidance on AI regulations. The Chamber’s aim is to “ensure updated artificial intelligence regulations preserve economic competitiveness.”
