Colorado Governor Jared Polis delivers his last State of the State with advice for all Coloradans
Gov. Jared Polis took a long stroll down memory lane during his final State of the State address, which ran almost an hour and a half Thursday.
"Seven years ago, some -- there's skeptics out there -- thought my bold goals were farfetched," Polis said at the Colorado State Capitol.
He couldn't help but gloat, as he recalled his achievements over his tenure.
"From free preschool, free full-day kindergarten, more housing, less pollution," Polis continued.
The governor also recalled unprecedented challenges.
"COVID was unlike anything we've faced before," he said.
Polis' time in office included a pandemic, the state's largest and most destructive wildfires and four mass shootings.
"Time and time again, we've worked together to tackle the complex challenges we face and chart a sustainable, affordable path forward for Colorado," Polis said.
Polis said his policies have saved Coloradans nearly $3 billion on health care, led to 75% more renewable energy and expanded the state's parks and wildlife areas by over 90,000 acres.
"To me, politics is simple: You say what you're going to do, and then you do it," Polis said.
CBS Colorado sat down with the governor after his State of the State to talk about the things that weren't in his speech, including a poll showing most Coloradans think the state is headed in the wrong direction.
The governor said the Trump administration is the problem, noting the president has threatened over $1 billion in funding for Colorado and made people feel fearful and vulnerable.
"Well, I think there is a lot of the frustration is about national actions for sure," Polis told CBS Colorado.
But some rural Coloradans say the Polis administration is the problem. His speech referenced Taylor Swift as much as farmers and ranchers.
The governor says he is committed to rural Colorado.
"I would say agriculture is something I'm passionate about," Polis responded. "It's something I've participated in. I've produced alfalfa for feed in the past. It's an area I plan to be continued active in the future."
For all he's accomplished, the governor still has a long to do list. He said he wants to change more land use laws to increase affordable housing -- despite a lawsuit over local control by some municipalities. He also wants to lower the income tax, make property and car insurance more affordable and outlaw puppy mills.
Republican state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, who's running for governor, says the speech was full of platitudes. She says Polis has a crisis of priorities, and the state is less affordable than when he took office.
"If things are so great, how the heck did we end up in structural deficit, where we start off every budget year $1 billion in the red," Kirkmeyer told CBS Colorado. "They aren't that great, and he hasn't really done that many things, and he's not following through, and he's punting .. you know, I'm going to use a football analogy. He likes to use baseball; I'll use football. He's punting the ball. He's in his fourth quarter; he's trying to do prevent defense, and he's gonna punt the ball every chance he gets."
The governor's closing statements to Coloradans during his final State of the State focused on unity. Polis says he is a governor for all.
"Since day one, as you know, I've worked to build a Colorado for all," Polis said during his State of the State. "Be kind, and love your fellow humans. The State of our state is strong, resilient, loving, kind, innovative, free and ever bright with the promise of a Colorado for all."