Old Divides Return as Colorado Lawmakers Brace for Contentious 2026 Session
By Marissa Ventrelli | Colorado Politics
Grab your popcorn, it’s going to be an interesting 2026 legislative session in Colorado.
There’s not much you can count on these days, but if you’ve been around the Capitol long enough, you’ve probably seen your fair share of disagreements, both friendly and unfriendly — and you can be sure you’ll see even more when the session is gavelled in on Jan. 14.
Here are a few of the biggest battles already brewing amongst lawmakers ahead of the session.
The urban-rural divide
Nearly 80% of Colorado’s land is considered rural or frontier, but about 86% of the state’s population resides in urban areas, according to Census data. The rural minority has long felt excluded from major policy decisions, as many rural legislators ...










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