Gov. Polis Releases '50 Ways the Polis Administration is Saving Coloradans Money'

DENVER - Governor Jared Polis released a comprehensive list of ways the Polis administration plans to help Coloradans save money and make Colorado more affordable, following the Governor's State of the State address.

1. Reductions to property tax assessment rates will reduce property taxes for homeowners, farmers and ranchers and properties used for renewable energy production
2. Restaurants, bars and mobile food vendors were allowed to keep seven months of state sales tax collections during the pandemic
3. Caterers, food service contractors, and hotel bars/restaurants were allowed to keep three months of state sales tax collections during the pandemic
4. We reduced health care premiums in the individual market by 24% through a new bipartisan state reinsurance program
5. We exempted small businesses from the business personal property tax
6. We capped the growth in homeowner’s property tax bills, allowing homeowners to defer paying increases over the cap
7. We allowed businesses to claim expanded business loss deductions
8. All children can now attend full day kindergarten for free so families no longer need to pay for a full day, saving parents hundreds of dollars each month
9. All four-year-olds will be able to attend  preschool for free, saving families from the high cost of preschool
10. Small and mid-size stores are now allowed to keep a higher percentage of their sales tax collections through a larger vendor fee and we’re proposing to increase it even more for small retailers
11. We authorized county treasurers to waive delinquent property tax penalties during the pandemic
12. We funded the Colorado Child Tax Credit for the first time, supplementing the federal credit and boosting the income of Colorado families
13. We doubled the state Earned Income Tax Credit, supplementing wages for workers
14. We exempted social security earnings from the state income tax
15. Reductions to the Colorado income tax rate approved by voters saves money for all families and businesses and the rate will be reduced again this year. The tax cut is fully paid for the tax cuts by eliminating loopholes and deductions ensuring funding for education and health service are not cut
16. We cut the cost of a state parks pass by more than half through the Keep Colorado Wild Pass starting in 2023
17. We’ve added more days for people to use state parks for free
18. We capped co-pays for insulin
19. The Governor signed legislation creating the Prescription Drug Affordability Board, which is tasked with lowering prescription drug costs for Colorado consumers.
20. We provided one-time stimulus payments to Coloradans on unemployment experiencing economic hardships caused by the pandemic
21. We reduced vehicle registration fees and have proposed to reduce them further
22. We are expanding the availability of free tax preparation services for low income families to help them claim tax refunds
23. We saved conversion costs for businesses that convert to employee-ownership
24. We’ve proposed reducing FAMLI premiums
25. We’ve proposed reducing unemployment insurance premiums, which we expect will flow through to employees in the form of more hires and wage increases
26. We’ve proposed reducing professional licensing costs for healthcare workers
27. We Increased the monthly amount for supplemental nutrition assistance 
28. We reduced the cost of applying to public colleges and universities 
29. We protected the property tax exemption for seniors and disabled veterans
30. We’ve proposed making it free to start a new business 
31. Coloradans will get a TABOR refund this year and likely in future years
32. We waived state liquor licensing fees 
33. We eliminated out-of-network surprise billing in health care
34. We created a by-Colorado, for-Colorado insurance option that will save people money on both the small group and individual markets
35. We propose preventing an increase in drivers license fees 
36. We’ve provided free application days and reduced cost textbooks for students at public universities in Colorado
37. We are quadrupling the College Opportunity Scholarship Initiative to make college more affordable for more students
38. We reduced tuition payments for child care through the child care assistance program
39. We created a low-cost retirement savings opportunity to help Coloradans save for retirement
40. We’re providing direct lending to Colorado Businesses to help them recover and expand
41. We closed corporate tax loopholes so that large out-of-state corporations pay more and passed the savings on to main-street businesses
42. We allowed businesses to benefit from state and local tax deductions (SALT) despite the changes in federal law
43. We covered fees for more Coloradans to earn a high school equivalency or GED
44. We provided free education and training opportunities for Coloradans to upskill, reskill and next skill to get a good job in our most in-demand industries, such as healthcare, IT, education, construction and manufacturing 
45. We provided free masks to students and teachers
46. We provided no-cost energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements in homes, reducing homeowners’ monthly energy bills
47. We’ve saved taxpayers by improving the energy efficiency of our schools, colleges and universities, and local government buildings 
48. We’ve helped farmers cut their energy costs through renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements
49. We’ve reduced the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle
50. We’ve helped commercial buildings reduce their energy costs through the Colorado Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program