The Colorado General Assembly enters its final day of the 2025 session Wednesday after a late-night scramble in the House over artificial intelligence regulations. That debacle aside, lawmakers will work to finish up final votes and procedural work before adjourning by the end of the day.
This story will be updated throughout the day.
10:43 a.m. update: And then there was one.
The legislature has entered its final day with much of its hardest work already done. That went right up until midnight Tuesday.
The House first fully passed House Bill 1312, a transgender rights bill that seeks to expand antidiscrimination protections for trans Coloradans. Its passage followed lengthy — and heated — opposition from House Republicans, who accused the bill’s sponsors of infringing on parental rights. One Republican called the bill “satanic.”
But the end to the session’s hardest work doesn’t mean tension has lightened. Rumors of a special session were already flying amid fear of what potential federal funding cuts will do to the state’s Medicaid system in the early fall. Those rumors kicked into higher gear after Monday, when Sen. Robert Rodriguez killed his own proposal to delay the implementation of new artificial intelligence regulations.
The House began work today with a protest from those same House Republicans. But not over the transgender bill: After that measure passed Tuesday night, some House Democrats tried quickly to amend another bill to resurrect the defunct delay on incoming AI regulations.
Colorado House attempts late-night move to delay AI regulations, but effort fails
That effort died after another Democrat, Rep Brianna Titone, filibustered until moments before midnight — which is when the bill had to pass to have a chance of being finalized today.
As Titone spoke, House Speaker Julie McCluskie interrupted her to give the mic to the majority leader. That’s a faux pas — Titone had control of the well, which is the lectern and mic at the center of the House.
But the House needed to adjourn before midnight, McCluskie told colleagues this morning, or the entire session might’ve been forced to end.
The upshot is that there is no longer any time for the legislature to do anything about the AI regulations in the next 13-odd hours of the session. That’s whipped special session rumors up again.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Jared Polis did not immediately respond to a question this morning about the specter of a special session.
When floor work finally got underway in the House, the chamber fully passed House Bill 1259, which would enshrine in vitro fertilization, or IVF, protections in state law and also would make a more contentious change to the state’s sperm bank regulations.
The House is also set to fully pass:
- House Bill 1192, which would require high school students to complete a financial literacy course.
- House Bill 1295, which would make it easier to license food trucks.
- House Bill 1320, which would fund the state’s K-12 schools.
- House Bill 1220, which would require licensure for certain dieticians and nutritionists.
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