By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board
Colorado Governor Jared Polis wants $4 million in taxpayer money to fight off the return of Trump—literally.
Under HB25-1321, Democrats in the Colorado legislature are moving to shift $4 million from the state’s infrastructure fund directly into Polis’s office, allowing him to wage legal and administrative battles against the federal government, particularly policies implemented by the Trump administration.
The bill gives Polis sweeping discretion to use the funds however he sees fit, including hiring outside legal teams, launching lawsuits, and defending state officials under federal investigation.
The bill—ironically titled “Support Against Adverse Federal Action”—has raised red flags across the aisle, with critics calling it a partisan power grab disguised as state sovereignty.
“They want to take $4 million to fight the federal government over potential cuts—without taking responsibility for the radical bills they’ve passed in this building,” said House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese in an interview with KDVR, warning of an expensive and unprecedented legal fund tucked into the Governor’s office.
The funding would come from the “Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act” cash fund—a pot of money originally intended to match federal infrastructure dollars. Now, Democrats want to repurpose it to build lawfare infrastructure, not roads or bridges.
The bill allows the Governor to:
- Hire contractors or legal teams to challenge federal oversight
- Reimburse the Attorney General for defending state employees
- Cover criminal defense costs for bureaucrats under federal investigation
- Spend on any activity Polis deems helpful to “protect Colorado’s sovereignty”
All without going through the Attorney General’s office—a major red flag for GOP lawmakers.
In an interview with Rocky Mountain Voice, Senator Marc Catlin laid it out plainly. “I don’t know why the state of Colorado would be spending our money to fight with our president. That doesn’t make one bit of sense to me.”
Many see HB25-1321 as an insurance policy for Colorado Democrats to fight Trump’s second term—and possibly build Polis’ national profile in the process.
“The Governor is the chief executive of our state,” Democrat Rep. Shannon Bird told KDVR, defending the bill. “We expect that he’ll be leading any response to federal overreach.”
But conservatives argue the Attorney General—not the Governor—should be handling these legal battles, not the executive’s political staff.
“Why is this not going through the AG’s office, where legal spending normally happens?” asked Pugliese. “This seems like a shell game.”
While Governor Polis brands himself as a liberty-loving moderate on national talk shows, his actions at home tell a different story. From bills attacking gun rights, to silencing parents and schools on gender ideology, to his latest attempt to funnel millions into a legal slush fund, Polis continues to expand executive power with little oversight.
And it’s not lost on Coloradans that this same governor is eyeing a future Senate or even presidential run. HB25-1321 could give him the tools—and the taxpayer dollars—to pick fights with a future Trump administration and raise his national profile in the process.
If passed, HB25-1321 would give Jared Polis unchecked legal firepower to attack federal policies, defend ideological allies, and advance his personal political agenda—all using funds meant to support Colorado’s infrastructure.
The bill still needs one final vote in the House before heading to the Senate. With Democrats holding a 23–12 majority in the Senate, the GOP’s ability to kill the bill is limited. But that won’t stop them from fighting it.
Senator Janice Rich told RMV in a statement that she believes the Senate Caucus will do what it can to make this bad bill better.
“Because we are outnumbered 23 to 12, I don’t think we will be able to kill the bill. It is ironic that they are taking money from the Jobs Act funds that was received from the federal government – to turn around and sue the federal government,” Rich said.
“We don’t have the votes,” Catlin admitted. “But I can certainly hold it up a good amount of time—and explain how hard this will be on all of Colorado, not just the urban parts.”
He encouraged constituents to take action and put pressure on lawmakers.
“Everyone should contact a Democrat senator or rep and tell them what they think,” he said. “I don’t think they realize we’re out there.”
Colorado voters should ask: Is this about serving the residents of our state—or fueling Polis’s political ambitions?
You can weigh in on this bill by attending a hearing in person, joining remotely via Zoom, or submitting written testimony. Find step-by-step instructions here:
https://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2025A/commsumm.nsf/NewSignIn.xsp