By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics
Colorado’s regulatory framework took the center stage during this year’s legislative session, where lawmakers clashed over proposed measures that — depending on who is asked — either benefit workers or create new burdens on businesses.
Behind these two competing frameworks are the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado Fiscal Institute.
On the one hand, the chamber and its allies argue that regulations have increased significantly over the past decade, putting up unnecessary barriers for businesses. On the other hand, the Colorado Fiscal Institute and its supporters maintain that the rules are essential to protect workers and consumers from harmful practices.
One of the most frequently cited statistics during the session came from a study commissioned by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce in 2024. The study ranked Colorado as the sixth-most regulated state in the U.S., claiming that nearly half of the state’s roughly 200,000 regulations are “excessive or duplicative.”
Even before the study’s findings were released, Gov. Jared Polis literally took a table saw to shred more 200 executive orders dating back to the 1950s.
But it was primarily Republicans who used the chamber’s findings as fuel to introduce several bills that sought to repeal statewide regulations, such as cage-free egg requirements and fees on plastic grocery bags and retail deliveries. The Republicans insisted that the regulations have not only added burdens on businesses but also made things more expensive for residents.
None of those measures passed.