Gov. Jared Polis on Nov. 9 shared details of the scope of the special session of the 74th General Assembly, scheduled to commence at 9 a.m. on Nov. 17. This is the second special session Polis has called. The previous special session was focused on providing bipartisan relief to Coloradans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am calling this session to urge the legislature to bridge partisan divides and put people over politics to provide immediate property tax relief to Coloradans facing extreme spikes from their 2023 property bills,” said Polis in a press release. “Coloradans are looking to us to reduce property taxes and provide relief to families, and as we always have, we will work to deliver solutions that protect and enhance the Colorado we love.”
Polis is asking the legislature to tackle two specific issues during the special session.
First, providing immediate relief for Coloradans at risk of receiving 40 to 50% increases in their property tax bill and to renters who may bear the burden of an increase that’s passed onto them. The general assembly already set aside $200 million for property tax relief that could be utilized right now, and Polis is hopeful even more can be put toward this purpose.
Second, a recently passed federal law allows Colorado to provide food and nutrition benefits to over 300,000 Colorado children during the summer months beginning as soon as the summer of 2024. Passing legislation as soon as possible, the press release noted will enable this critical program in time for the summer and access approximately $35 million in federal benefits.