Colorado State Senate

Colorado State Senate
General Information
Party control:	Democrat
Session start:	January 10, 2024
Session end:	May 8, 2024
Term length:	4 years
Term limits:	2 terms (8 years)
Redistricting:	Commission
Salary:	$43,977/year for legislators whose terms began in 2023. $41,449/year for legislators whose terms began in 2021. + per diem
Members
Total:	35
Democrats:	23
Republicans:	12
Other:	0
Vacancies:	0
Leadership
President:	Stephen Fenberg (D)
Maj. Leader:	Robert Rodriguez (D)
Min. Leader:	Paul Lundeen (R)
Elections
Last election:	November 8, 2022
Next election:	November 5, 2024

The Colorado State Senate is the upper chamber of the Colorado General Assembly. Alongside the Colorado House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Colorado state government and works alongside the governor of Colorado to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Colorado State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Colorado State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Denver, Colorado.

A total of 18 seats out of the Colorado Senate's 35 seats are up for election in 2024.

A total of 17 seats out of the Colorado Senate's 35 seats were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Democratic majority increased from 21-14 to 23-12.

Colorado has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

This page contains the following information on the Colorado State Senate.

• Which party controls the chamber
• The chamber's current membership
• Partisan control of the chamber over time
• Elections in the chamber and how vacancies are filled
• A district map
• How redistricting works in the state
• Legislation currently under consideration
• Legislative session dates
• Legislative procedures, such as veto overrides and the state budget process
• A list of committees

Party control[edit]

Current partisan control[edit]

The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Colorado State Senate as of September 2024:

Party		As of September 2024
	Democratic Party	23
	Republican Party	12
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		35

Members[edit]

Leadership and members[edit]

• Senate president: Stephen Fenberg (D)
• Majority leader: Robert Rodriguez (D)
• Minority leader: Paul Lundeen (R)

Salaries[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

State legislative salaries, 2024[1]
Salary	Per diem
$43,977/year for legislators whose terms began in 2023. $41,449/year for legislators whose terms began in 2021.	For legislators residing within 50 miles of the capitol: $45/day. For legislators living more than 50 miles from the capitol: $237/day.

Swearing in dates[edit]

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Colorado legislators assume office on the first day of the legislative session after their election. The legislative session must begin no later than 10:00 AM on the second Wednesday of January.^[2] The state constitution requires the newly elected governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, treasurer, and secretary of state to take office on the second Tuesday of January.^[3] In the year after those offices are elected, the legislative session must begin before the second Tuesday of January to declare the winners of those races.^[4][5]

Membership qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Article 5, Section 4 of the Colorado Constitution states:^[6]

“

No person shall be a representative or senator who shall not have attained the age of twenty-five years, who shall not be a citizen of the United States, and who shall not for at least twelve months next preceding his election, have resided within the territory included in the limits of the district in which he shall be chosen.[7]

”

Historical party control[edit]

Democrats won control of the Colorado State Senate in 2018. In 2022, they won a 23-12 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Colorado Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Colorado State Senate election results: 1992-2022

Year	'92	'94	'96	'98	'00	'02	'04	'06	'08	'10	'12	'14	'16	'18	'20	'22
Democrats	16	16	15	14	18	17	18	20	21	20	19	17	17	19	20	23
Republicans	19	19	20	21	17	18	17	15	14	15	16	18	18	16	15	12

Before 1992[edit]

Between 1900 and 2022, the chamber changed partisan hands 14 times.

Trifecta history[edit]

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Colorado was under the following types of trifecta control:

• Democratic trifecta: 2007-2010, 2013-2014, 2019-2023
• Republican trifecta: 1999-2000, 2003-2004
• Divided government: 1992-1998, 2001-2002, 2005-2006, 2011-2012, 2015-2018

Colorado Party Control: 1992-2024
Twelve years of Democratic trifectas  •  Four years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D
House	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D

Elections[edit]

Elections by year[edit]

Colorado state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. Colorado holds elections for its legislature in even years.

2026[edit]

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2026

Elections for the Colorado State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

2024[edit]

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2024

Elections for the Colorado State Senate will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. The primary was June 25, 2024. The filing deadline was March 19, 2024.

2022[edit]

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2022

Elections for the Colorado State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 28, 2022. The filing deadline was March 15, 2022.

The Democratic Party expanded its majority by two seats in the 2022 general election, from 21-14 to 23-12.

Colorado State Senate
Party		As of November 8, 2022	After November 9, 2022
	Democratic Party	21	23
	Republican Party	14	12
Total		35	35

2020[edit]

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2020

Elections for the office of Colorado State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for June 30, 2020. The filing deadline was March 17, 2020. Heading into the 2020 general election, there were 19 Democrats and 16 Republicans in the chamber.

In the 2020 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the Colorado State Senate from 19-16 to 20-15.

Colorado State Senate
Party		As of November 3, 2020	After November 4, 2020
	Democratic Party	19	20
	Republican Party	16	15
Total		35	35

2018[edit]

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2018

Elections for the Colorado State Senate took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on June 26, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 20, 2018, for major party candidates and April 2, 2018, for minor party candidates. There was a July 12, 2018, deadline for unaffiliated candidates.^[8]

In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained a majority in the Colorado State Senate.

Colorado State Senate
Party		As of November 6, 2018	After November 7, 2018
	Democratic Party	16	19
	Republican Party	18	16
	Independent	1	0
Total		35	35

2016[edit]

See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Colorado State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on June 28, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 4, 2016.^[9] A total of 18 seats out of the 35 seats in the Colorado State Senate were up for election in 2016.

The Colorado State Senate was one of 20 battleground chambers in 2016. Heading into the election, Republicans held an 18-17 majority. No changes occurred to the partisan balance of the chamber.

Colorado State Senate
Party		As of November 7, 2016	After November 8, 2016
	Democratic Party	17	17
	Republican Party	18	18
Total		35	35

Click [show] to see election information dating back to 2000

2014[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2014 Elections for the Colorado State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 24, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 31, 2014. The Colorado State Senate was one of 20 state legislative battleground chambers in 2014. Heading into the election, Democrats held an 18-17 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving Republicans an 18-17 majority. Colorado State Senate Party As of November 3, 2014 After November 4, 2014      Democratic Party 18 17      Republican Party 17 18 Total 35 35 2012[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2012 Elections for the office of the Colorado State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on June 26, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was April 2, 2012. A total of 20 seats were up for election in 2012. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 20-15 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 19-16 majority. Colorado State Senate Party As of November 5, 2012 After the 2012 Election      Democratic Party 20 19      Republican Party 15 16 Total 35 35 The table below details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election in 2012. 2012 Margin of Victory, Colorado State Senate District Winner Margin of Victory Total Votes Top Opponent District 19 Evie Hudak 0.8% 75,848 Lang Sias District 35 Larry Crowder 2.4% 63,195 Crestina Martinez District 22 Andy Kerr 5.2% 73,853 Ken Summers District 8 Randy Baumgardner 6.7% 66,954 Emily Tracy District 26 Linda Newell 8.2% 71,634 Dave Kerber District 27 David Balmer 9.6% 77,368 David Paladino District 23 Vicki Marble 12.4% 78,201 Lee Kemp District 25 Mary Hodge 15.1% 50,732 John Sampson District 14 John Kefalas 22.1% 80,541 Syndi Anderson District 29 Morgan Carroll 22.2% 51,314 William "Bill" D. Ross II 2010[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2010 Elections for the office of the Colorado State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on August 10, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was May 27, 2010. State senate seats in 19 of Colorado's 35 districts were on the ballot in 2010. The districts on the ballot were 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 20, 22, 24, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34. Heading into the election, Democrats held a 21-14 majority. Democrats lost one seat in the election, giving them a 20-15 majority. Colorado State Senate Party As of November 1, 2010 After the 2010 Election      Democratic Party 21 20      Republican Party 14 15 Total 35 35 In the 2010 elections, the candidates running for Senate raised $2,331,554 in campaign funds. The top 10 overall contributors were:[10] 2010 Donors, Colorado State Senate Donor Amount Odom, John $96,134 Colorado Education Association $31,625 Colorado Professional Fire Fighters $29,000 Shuler, Derec $28,684 Copic Insurance Small Donor Committee $28,400 Eckstein, Torsten $25,491 Colorado State Conference of Electrical Workers Small Donor Committee (CSCEW) $22,000 State Democratic Senate Campaign Fund $21,488 Colorado Association of Realtors Small Donor Committee $20,000 Colorado American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations Nonpartisan Small Donor $19,750 2008[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2008 Elections for the Colorado State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 12, 2008, and a general election on November 4, 2008. Nineteen seats were up for election in 2008. During the 2008 elections, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,735,632. The top 10 contributors were:[11] 2008 Donors, Colorado State Senate Donor Amount Democratic Senate Campaign Committee Of New York $119,350 Colorado Education Association $45,500 American Federation Of State County & Municipal Employees $43,750 Colorado Association Of Realtors $42,100 Colorado Professional Fire Fighters $40,000 Food & Commercial Workers Local 7 $39,750 Jefferson County Education Association $36,325 Service Employees Local 105 $33,000 Colorado Association Of Public Employees $27,900 Ytterberg, Don $19,031 2006[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2006 Elections for the Colorado State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 8, 2006, and a general election on November 7, 2006. Eighteen seats were up for election in 2006. During the 2006 elections, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $3,042,683. The top 10 contributors were:[12] 2006 Donors, Colorado State Senate Donor Amount Noonan, Paula E. $247,586 Food & Commercial Workers Local 7 $46,000 Copic Insurance $35,250 Schwartz, Gail $35,000 Democratic Senate Campaign Fund $34,500 Colorado Professional Fire Fighters $33,000 Colorado Education Association $30,000 Colorado AFL-CIO $28,500 Colorado State Conference Of Electrical Workers $26,500 Baisley, Mark $24,835 2004[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2004 Elections for the Colorado State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 10, 2004, and a general election on November 2, 2004. Eighteen seats were up for election in 2004. During the 2004 elections, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,161,082. The top 10 contributors were:[13] 2004 Donors, Colorado State Senate Donor Amount Democratic Senate Campaign Fund $45,382 Colorado Education Association $36,940 Colorado Professional Fire Fighters $35,000 Copic Insurance $32,650 Communications Workers $24,000 Jefferson County Education Association $22,600 Boulder Valley Education Association $22,500 Colorado State Pipe Trades Association $21,000 Colorado AFL-CIO $20,500 Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 208 $20,000 2002[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2002 Elections for the Colorado State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 13, 2002, and a general election on November 5, 2002. Seventeen seats were up for election in 2002. During the 2002 elections, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $4,659,442. The top 10 contributors were:[14] 2002 Donors, Colorado State Senate Donor Amount Democratic Senate Campaign Fund Of Colorado $1,016,591 Colorado Republican Party $683,537 Colorado Democratic Party $186,235 Colorado Republican Party/Senate Leadership Trust $103,541 El Paso County Republicans $47,376 Copic Insurance $32,700 Philip Morris $32,385 Land Title Guarantee Co $25,200 Montrose Republican Central County $23,900 AT&T $23,700 2000[edit] See also: Colorado State Senate elections, 2000 Elections for the Colorado State Senate consisted of a primary election on August 8, 2000, and a general election on November 7, 2000. During the 2000 elections, the total value of contributions to Senate candidates was $2,560,299. The top 10 contributors were:[15] 2000 Donors, Colorado State Senate Donor Amount Colorado Republican Party $85,961 Colorado Democratic Party $72,230 Colorado Republican Cmte Senate Leadership Trust $49,000 New Democrat Network $24,000 Colorado Professional Fire Fighters $18,000 Democrat Senate Campaign Fund $17,510 Colorado State Conference Of Electrical Workers $17,000 Workers Compensation Coalition PAC $16,950 Farmers Insurance Group $16,750 National Rifle Association $15,720

Term limits[edit]

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Colorado General Assembly is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Colorado Term Limits Act in 1990. That initiative said that Colorado senators are subject to term limits of no more than two four-year terms.^[16]

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Colorado General Assembly, then the political party that last held the seat is responsible for selecting a replacement.^[17] A vacancy committee consisting of members representing the political party holding the vacant seat must conduct an election to appoint a replacement. The person selected to fill the vacant seat must be approved by a majority of the members of the vacancy committee. The committee must submit and certify their selection to the Secretary of State within 30 days of the vacancy. If, within those 30 days, the committee fails to certify a selection, the governor must select a candidate within five days that meets the appropriate qualifications. The person who is selected to fill the vacancy remains in the seat until the next scheduled general election.^[18]

If the outgoing officeholder was politically unaffiliated, or was a member of a minor-party, nominations to fill the vacancy follow the nomination procedure for regularly scheduled general elections.

See sources: Colorado Art. 5, Sec. 2(3) Colorado Rev. Stat. §1-4-802 and Colorado Rev. Stat. §1-12-203

District map[edit]

See also: Colorado state legislative districts

The state of Colorado has 35 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.

Use the interactive map below to find your district.

Redistricting[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Colorado

On November 6, 2018, Colorado voters approved two constitutional amendments, Amendment Y and Amendment Z, establishing separate non-politician commissions for congressional and state legislative redistricting. Each commission consists of four members belonging to the state's largest political party, four members belonging to the state's second-largest party, and four members belonging to no party. Commission members are appointed by a panel of three judges selected by the Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. The amendment requires at least eight of the commission's 12 members, including at least two members not belonging to any political party, to approve a map.^[19]

The Colorado Constitution requires that state legislative district boundaries "be contiguous, and that they be as compact as possible based on their total perimeter." In addition, "to the extent possible, districts must also preserve the integrity of counties, cities, towns and–where doing so does not conflict with other goals–communities of interest." There are no similar requirements for congressional districts.^[20][21]

2020[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Colorado after the 2020 census

On November 15, 2021, the Colorado Supreme Court approved the state legislative redistricting plans approved by the state's Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission on October 11 and 12, 2021.^[22] These maps took effect for Colorado’s 2022 state legislative elections.

The Colorado Sun's Thy Vo wrote that the House and Senate maps "appear to favor Democrats' maintaining their majority in the General Assembly."^[22] Colorado Politics' Evan Wyloge wrote that the new maps created nine House districts where previous election results fell within a five percentage point margin and eight such Senate districts. At the time of approval, Democrats held a 42-23 majority in the House and a 20-15 majority in the Senate.^[23]

District map before and after 2020 redistricting[edit]

Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

2010[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Colorado after the 2010 census

Colorado's population increased from 4.30 million to 5.03 million between 2000 and 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.^[24] Much of the state's 16.9 percent growth occurred in the I-25 corridor, on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Hispanic population growth accounted for roughly half of the increase. The Colorado Springs area and the southern Denver suburbs experienced the highest population growth rates.^[25]

The 11 members of the Reapportionment Commission began working in May 2011, with public hearings set for June. Commission Chairman Mario Carrera, the only unaffiliated member of the commission, submitted his maps on September 14, explaining that they would make 11 Senate seats and 22 House seats competitive, of the 33 competitive seats, 17 were anticipated to be highly competitive. Additionally, under his proposal 24 of the 100 legislative districts would have at least 30 percent Hispanic voters.^[26] On September 19 the Commission voted to pass Carrera's maps of state legislative districts. Democrats unanimously passed both maps, two Republicans voted against the Senate map and three voted against the House map. The Colorado Supreme Court rejected the new House and Senate maps on November 15 by a vote of 4-2, stating they were not sufficiently attentive to county boundaries.^[27] The redistricting panel resumed efforts on November 28 to rework the new legislative maps.^[28] The following day the commission voted to approve Democratic-drawn proposals for new House and Senate districts. On December 12, the state Supreme Court approved the maps.^[29]

Sessions[edit]

Legislation[edit]

The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Colorado State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

Dates of legislative sessions in Colorado by year[edit]

2024[edit]

See also: 2024 Colorado legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 10, 2024, and adjourn on May 8, 2024.

2023[edit]

See also: 2023 Colorado legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 9, 2023, and adjourn on May 8, 2023.

Click [show] for past years' session dates.

2022[edit] See also: 2022 Colorado legislative session and Dates of 2022 state legislative sessions In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 12, 2022, and adjourn on May 11, 2022. 2021[edit] See also: 2021 Colorado legislative session and Dates of 2021 state legislative sessions In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 13, 2021, and adjourn on June 8, 2021. 2020[edit] See also: 2020 Colorado legislative session and Dates of 2020 state legislative sessions In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 8, 2020, and adjourn on June 15, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic[edit] See also: Changes to state legislative session dates in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020 Coronavirus pandemic Select a topic from the dropdown below to learn more. Political responses overviewState reopening plansDocumenting America's Path to RecoveryElection changesChanges to vote-by-mail and absentee voting proceduresFederal responsesState responsesState executive ordersStay-at-home ordersMultistate agreementsNon-governmental reopening plansEvictions and foreclosures policiesTravel restrictionsEnacted state legislationState legislative session changesSchool closuresState court closuresInmate releasesLocal government responsesDiagnosed or quarantined politiciansBallot measure changesArguments about government responsesThe 1918 influenza pandemicPandemic Response Accountability CommitteeUnemployment filingsLawsuitsBallotpedia's polling on the coronavirus pandemicSubmit Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The Colorado State Legislature suspended its session, effective March 14, 2020, through May 26, 2020. The suspension had originally been scheduled to continue through March 30, 2020. The suspension was then subsequently extended, first to April 2, 2020, then to May 18, 2020, and then to May 26, 2020. The legislature adjourned on June 15, 2020.[30][31][32][33][34][35] 2019[edit] See also: 2019 Colorado legislative session and Dates of 2019 state legislative sessions In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 4, 2019, through May 3, 2019. 2018[edit] See also: 2018 Colorado legislative session and Dates of 2018 state legislative sessions In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 10, 2018, through May 9, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, click here. 2017[edit] See also: Dates of 2017 state legislative sessions In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 11, 2017, through May 10, 2017. The legislature held a special session from October 2 to October 3. 2016[edit] See also: Dates of 2016 state legislative sessions In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 13 through May 11. 2015[edit] See also: Dates of 2015 state legislative sessions In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 7 through May 6.[36] Major issues in 2015[edit] Major issues during the 2015 legislative session included energy development, the medical marijuana industry, tax refunds, and gun restrictions passed during the 2013 legislative session.[37] 2014[edit] See also: Dates of 2014 state legislative sessions In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 8 to May 7. Major issues in 2014[edit] Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included packages of bills for flood relief and wildfire mitigation.[38] 2013[edit] See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 9 to May 9. Major issues in 2013[edit] Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included gun control, immigration reform, election reform, and the enactment of laws to regulate and tax legal marijuana.[39] 2012[edit] See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 11 to May 9. A special session was held from May 14 to May 16.[40] 2011[edit] See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 12 through May 11. 2010[edit] See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions In 2010, the legislature was in session from January 13th to May 12th.

About legislative sessions in Colorado[edit]

The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.^[41] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

Article V of the Colorado Constitution establishes when the Colorado General Assembly, of which the Senate is a part, is to be in session. Section 7 of Article V states that the assembly is to convene its regular session no later than the second Wednesday of January of each year. Regular sessions are not to exceed 120 calendar days.

Section 7 also states that the governor of Colorado can convene special sessions of the general assembly. Special sessions can also be convened by a two-thirds vote of the members of both legislative houses.

Legislative roles and procedures[edit]

Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, term limits, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

Veto overrides[edit]

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Colorado are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers

Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 44 of the 65 members in the Colorado House of Representatives and 24 of the 35 members in the Colorado State Senate. Colorado is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

Authority: Article IV, Section 11 of the Colorado Constitution

"Every bill passed by the general assembly shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the governor. If he approve, he shall sign it, and thereupon it shall become a law; but if he do not approve, he shall return it, with his objections, to the house in which it originated, which house shall enter the objections at large upon its journal, and proceed to reconsider the bill. If then two­ thirds of the members elected agree to pass the same, it shall be sent, together with the objections, to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two­ thirds of the members elected to that house, it shall become a law, notwithstanding the objections of the governor."

Role in state budget[edit]

See also: Colorado state budget and finances

Colorado on

Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:

Budgets • Civil liberties • Education • Elections • Energy • Environment • Healthcare • Pensions

The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:^[42]

1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in March.
2. Agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in July.
3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in November.
4. The legislature typically adopts a budget in April for the new fiscal year beginning July 1.

Colorado is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.^[42][43]

The governor is legally required to submit a balanced budget to the legislature, which must in turn adopt a balanced budget.^[42]

Committees[edit]

See also: List of committees in Colorado state government

Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

• Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
• Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
• Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Colorado State Senate has 10 standing committees:

Constitutional amendments[edit]

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Colorado Constitution can be amended:

See also: Section 1 of Article V and Article XIX of the Colorado Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Colorado

Colorado Constitution
Preamble
Articles
I • II • III • IV • V • VI • VII • VIII • IX • X • XI • XII • XIII • XIV • XV • XVI • XVII • XVIII • XIX • XX • XXI • XXII • XXIII • XXIV • XXV • XXVI • XXVII • XXVIII • XXIX • Schedule

The Colorado Constitution provides three mechanisms for amending the state's constitution—a citizen-initiated process, a legislative process, and a state constitutional convention. Once on the ballot, a 55 percent supermajority vote is required for the approval of any constitutional amendment put on the ballot by the legislature or by a citizen initiative, except those that only remove language from the constitution, rather than adding language or changing existing language.

Initiative[edit]

See also: Initiated constitutional amendment

An initiated constitutional amendment is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends a state's constitution. Eighteen (18) states allow citizens to initiate constitutional amendments.

In Colorado, the number of signatures required for an initiated constitutional amendment is equal to 5% of the votes cast for the Colorado secretary of state in the preceding general election. Colorado has a distribution requirement for initiated amendments. Signatures must be collected from at least 2% of the registered voters who live in each of the 35 state Senate districts. A 55% vote is required for voter approval.

Combined initiated constitutional amendments and state statutes[edit]

See also: Combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute

A combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is a citizen-initiated ballot measure that amends both a state's constitution and state statute. There are at least two (2) states that allow citizens to initiate combined amendments and statutes.

In Colorado, the number of signatures required for a combined initiated constitutional amendment and state statute is equal to 5% of the votes cast for the Colorado secretary of state in the preceding general election. Colorado has a distribution requirement for initiated amendments. Signatures must be collected from at least 2% of the registered voters who live in each of the 35 state Senate districts. A 55% vote is required for voter approval.

Legislature[edit]

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session for the Colorado State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 44 votes in the Colorado House of Representatives and 24 votes in the Colorado State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention[edit]

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

According to Article XIX of the Colorado Constitution, the state Legislature can refer a state constitutional convention question to the ballot. A two-thirds (66.67%) vote of legislators in each chamber is required.

2025 measures:

See also: 2025 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

No measures to list

2024 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature.

See also: Colorado 2024 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures were certified for the ballot.

Colorado Amendment G, Property Tax Exemption for Veterans with Individual Unemployability Status Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 34 (97.14%)	No votes: 0 (0.00%)	Yes: 23; No: 0	Yes: 11; No: 0
House:	Required: 44	Yes votes: 62 (95.38%)	No votes: 0 (0.00%)	Yes: 44; No: 0	Yes: 18; No: 0
Colorado Amendment H, Independent Judicial Discipline Adjudicative Board Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 35 (100.00%)	No votes: 0 (0.00%)	Yes: 23; No: 0	Yes: 12; No: 0
House:	Required: 44	Yes votes: 60 (92.30%)	No votes: 3 (4.62%)	Yes: 44; No: 0	Yes: 16; No: 3
Colorado Amendment K, Initiative and Referendum Filing and Judicial Retention Filing Deadlines Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 34 (97.14%)	No votes: 0 (0.00%)	Yes: 23; No: 0	Yes: 11; No: 0
House:	Required: 44	Yes votes: 61 (93.85%)	No votes: 1 (1.54%)	Yes: 45; No: 0	Yes: 16; No: 1
Colorado Amendment J, Remove Constitutional Same-Sex Marriage Ban Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 29 (82.86%)	No votes: 5 (14.29%)	Yes: 23; No: 0	Yes: 6; No: 5
House:	Required: 44	Yes votes: 46 (70.77%)	No votes: 14 (21.54%)	Yes: 44; No: 1	Yes: 2; No: 13
Colorado Amendment I, Remove Right to Bail in First Degree Murder Cases Amendment				Democrats	Republicans
Senate:	Required: 24	Yes votes: 35 (100.00%)	No votes: 0 (0.00%)	Yes: 23; No: 0	Yes: 12; No: 0
House:	Required: 44	Yes votes: 59 (90.77%)	No votes: 5 (7.69%)	Yes: 41; No: 4	Yes: 18; No: 1

See also[edit]

Elections	Colorado State Government	State Legislatures	State Politics
Colorado State Senate elections, 2024 Colorado State Senate elections, 2022 Colorado State Senate elections, 2020 Colorado State Senate elections, 2018	Colorado General Assembly Colorado House of Representatives Governor of Colorado Colorado Supreme Court	State legislative elections: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018	State government trifectas State government triplexes State executives State courts Ballot measures The State Legislative Decade

External links[edit]

• Colorado State Senate

Footnotes[edit]

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