This year’s legislative session was defined not only by high-stakes debates under the Gold Dome, but by what came after: a wave of vetoes from the Governor that undermined critical protections for working class families across the state. For six months, diverse coalitions of grassroots organizers, bold state lawmakers, and values-driven local elected officials fought tooth and nail to pass transformative legislation, only to see hard-won victories undermined by the stroke of a governor’s veto pen.
However, while the Governor turned towards corporate interests, Local Progress Colorado members turned towards their communities, organizing and winning big at the local level. Across the state, our members delivered tangible wins rooted in justice, working class solidarity, and community care.
Below, we reflect on the full scope of the 2025 Legislative Session: the wins, the losses, the ugly moments, and the incredible local leadership that carried our values forward.
🏆 STATE LEGISLATIVE WINS
SB25-020: Tenant and Landlord Law Enforcement Act
This breakthrough legislation empowers local governments to enforce tenant protections, closing a long-standing gap that allowed exploitative landlords to evade accountability. A huge win for renters, particularly in communities most impacted by housing insecurity, SB25-020 was championed by a powerful coalition that included United for a New Economy (UNE), the East Colfax Community Collective, and the Denver Metro Tenants Union. Local Progress members were central to the fight: Councilmembers Alison Coombs and Hannah Gay Keao co-authored an op-ed in support of the bill, and LPCO members turned out to testify throughout the bill’s path through the legislature to ensure this community-led effort became law.
SB25-276: Protect Civil Rights Regardless of Immigration Status
SB25-276 marks a major step forward for civil rights in Colorado by establishing critical protections for our immigrant communities. The bill ends the practice of ICE holds after bond is posted, preventing individuals from being unnecessarily jailed based on immigration status alone. It expands the ability to vacate low-level convictions that are often weaponized for deportation, restoring access to work, housing, and stability. Federal immigration agents will now need a judicial warrant to enter non-public areas of jails and detention centers, and the bill limits data collection and surveillance by removing immunity for agencies that violate civil rights through data sharing. It also repeals discriminatory affidavit requirements used to deny immigrants access to public IDs and in-state tuition rates. Finally, SB25-276 holds public institutions like schools and hospitals accountable by prohibiting cooperation with ICE, helping ensure essential services remain safe and accessible. This bill was championed by a powerful coalition including the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC), State Innovation Exchange, Working Families Party, and Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA), and was strongly supported by Local Progress Colorado members who showed up at the Capitol to testify and prioritized the bill in their conversations with lawmakers during Advocacy Day.
❌ STATE LEGISLATIVE LOSSES
SB25-005: Worker Protection Act
The Worker Protection Act (SB25-005) aimed to modernize Colorado’s outdated union election process by eliminating the unnecessary and undemocratic requirement for a second election that demanded a 75% approval threshold for workers to agree to union dues in union security agreements. By aligning Colorado’s labor laws with national standards, the bill would have made it significantly easier for workers to form and join unions, strengthening collective bargaining rights across the state. Despite overwhelming grassroots support and an easy passage through the legislature, Governor Jared Polis vetoed the bill, placing corporate interests above the rights of working people. Local Progress Colorado members rallied in support alongside Labor groups from across the state, authoring a letter to the Governor Polis that was delivered on Advocacy Day in support of the bill and demanding the Governor change course after the veto. [PICTURE]
HB25-1004: Prohibiting Landlord Price-Fixing
One of Local Progress Colorado members’ priority bills at Advocacy Day, HB25-1004 sought to prohibit anti-competitive price coordination among landlords, a critical step in combating rent inflation and protecting renters from predatory housing practices. Rental price fixing, often facilitated by third-party software or informal agreements, allows large, exploitative corporate landlords to artificially inflate prices, making it harder for working families to find and keep stable housing. Despite strong community backing and a powerful coalition of partners including United for a New Economy (UNE), 9to5 Colorado, ACLU of Colorado, Denver Metro Tenants Union (DMTU), and Together Colorado, the bill was ultimately vetoed. his marked a major loss for housing justice advocates and renters across the state, however, LPCO members remain committed to the fight alongside our partners in advocating for tenant protections against corporate takeovers at the local level.
🤯 THE UGLY
HB25-1208 was a direct attack on local democracy and tipped worker wages from the outset, a red flag bill that threatened to strip municipalities of their ability to set stronger wage standards. Thanks to relentless organizing and advocacy, Local Progress Colorado members helped force significant amendments that preserved local control (at least for now). Local elected officials in Denver, the City of Boulder, Boulder County, and Edgewater poured countless hours into working directly with legislators and bill sponsors to change the original language, refusing to allow the state to undercut hard-fought local wins for workers. From mobilizing at Advocacy Day to holding a press conference with Local Progress member and Denver City Councilmember Sarah Parady and partners at Coloradans for the Common Good, the Working Families Party, and Towards Justice, LPCO members were at the forefront of fighting to protect workers. On-the-ground organizing and testimony from members in Edgewater, Denver, and Boulder helped shift the conversation, demonstrating the power of coordinated local resistance in the face of harmful legislation. The fight is far from over, but Local Progress Colorado members and their tireless advocacy around HB25-1208 made clear that we are ready to defend local authority and protect workers at every level of government
🌟 LOCAL LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT: COMMUNITY-ROOTED WINS
While the Governor wavered and all eyes were on the state legislature, local leaders rose. Here are just a few of the many wins our members delivered so far this year in their jurisdictions:
Commerce City
Local Progress Colorado members City Councilmember Renee Millard Chacon and Mayor Pro Tem Kristi Douglas passed an Emergency Climate Proclamation and a Missing & Murdered Indigenous Relatives Proclamation, advancing local justice frameworks for disproportionately impacted communities.
Edgewater
A slate of LPCO Members, Hannah Gay Keao, Mercedes Valdez, Kali Janda, Lilly Steirer, Joel Newton, led a series of powerful wins, eliminating harmful, outdated city policies; strengthening ethical codes and enforcement, keeping their community school open against district closures, and supporting small businesses without suppressing wages
Arapahoe County
Local Progress Colorado members and City Councilmembers Jessica Campbell, Carrie Warren-Gully, and Leslie Summey launched a 1A Resident Advisory Committee and drove Prop 123 and HB1313 implementation to increase affordable housing access near transit.
Lakewood
Local Progress Colorado members and City Councilmembers Isabel Cruz, with Roger Low and Jeslin Shahrezaei, achieved a major housing victory, rejecting Ordinance O-2024-28 which was a direct threat to affordable housing development.
Denver City Council
Local Progress Colorado members unanimously voted against renewing the city’s contract with Flock, a mass surveillance company, marking a bold step to rejecting tech-enabled policing and protecting immigrants and those seeking gender-affirming and abortion care in the region.
Boulder & Adams Counties
Local Progress Colorado members and County Commissioners Claire Levy, Ashley Stolzmann, Emma Pinter, and Steve O’Dorisio passed a historic air quality rule, classifying black carbon and ultrafine particles as toxic contaminants, moving the Front Range towards cleaner air quality and improved health outcomes.
Denver Public Schools
Local Progress Colorado members and School Board Directors Scott Esserman and Carrie Olson led the district in suing the Trump Administration over ICE enforcement in schools, advocating for protecting our immigrant students and their families.
Roaring Fork School District (RFSD)
Led by Local Progress Colorado members and School Board Directors Jasmin Ramirez and Kathryn Kuhlenberg, the district created a new labor relations team, implemented its first certified teacher bargaining contract, and opened Meadowood, a staff housing project offering 50 families affordable, energy-efficient housing in Carbondale.
Movement Support & Solidarity
Across Colorado, LPCO Members:
- Stood with UFCW Local 7 King Soopers workers
- Protested proposed cuts to the Colorado Department of Education
- Took to the streets on May Day to champion workers’ rights and union power
- Stood in solidarity with immigrant communities outside of ICE’s Aurora Holding Facility to demand the release of community members inside, including long-time community activist Jeanette Vizguerra
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🔥 WE ARE THE FRONTLINE
While the headlines focused on what was won, lost and vetoed at the state level, Local Progress Colorado members were busy doing what they do best: organizing from the ground up, centering people over profit, and making local government a site of resistance from state and federal preemption.
Local Progress Colorado members are ready to carry this momentum into the second half of the year. The fight for justice lives in our neighborhoods and our local communities, and we’re proud to have your backs.
