📌 The Bradley Bulletin: The Truth About Colorado’s Special Session

Representative Brandi Bradley
Sep 5
4 min read

Partisan Reality

The Special Session came to an end, and it was nothing more than a partisan exercise. The Majority marched in lockstep, parroting talking points while shutting down every opportunity for real debate. On Day 1 alone, every single Republican bill was killed in committee. No collaboration. No willingness to work across the aisle. Just politics as usual.

Republicans offered solutions to cut waste and prioritize families:

Protecting rural health centers, veterans, and children with disabilities waiting on Medicaid.
SCR25B-001: Required voter approval for new income “addbacks” (killed).
HB25B-1008: AI Consumer Protections aligning with federal law to prevent crushing regulations (killed).
HB25B-1015: My bill would have saved Colorado taxpayers $400 million by cutting wasteful spending on abortions, gender procedures, and healthcare for illegal immigrants.

Instead, Democrats voted NO on every single common-sense cut. Representative Bottoms and I came prepared to be the adults in the room—but the Majority chose politics over fiscal responsibility.
Here’s the reality:
- 42,000 Coloradans with developmental disabilities are waiting just to get on the Medicaid waitlist.
- Yet Democrats prioritize illegal immigrants over these families.
- They spend $90 million on healthcare for incarcerated inmates, including gender-affirming procedures.
- They pour millions into abortion, while critical needs for Colorado families go unmet.
We’re not just “trying” to cut these services for people here illegally—we have to. No other country allows foreign nationals to demand that their healthcare costs be paid for.

Why should hardworking Coloradans shoulder that burden?

Yes, inmates and illegal immigrants are given priority—but what about the taxpayers who are the backbone of this state? They deserve relief, not more government waste.

Instead of trimming the fat from a bloated budget, Democrats are laying out a hammock for able-bodied adults to stay on welfare. I had some lively comments on able bodies and able minds - If you can work, go to work. Welfare should be a bridge, not a lifestyle. Hungry kids deserve help, not fraud and waste.Meanwhile, Democrats pushed through six new tax measures targeting businesses and working families.

Silenced again

During debate, Rep. Camacho went to the well and complained that it was taking too long — claiming it cost taxpayers $50,000 a day. The Democrats’ solution? Invoke Rule 14 to shut down debate altogether.

These are the same House Democrats who call themselves champions of “tolerance” and “democracy.” Translation: they told half of Colorado, “Sit down and be quiet.”

Every Coloradan deserves to have their voice heard through their elected representatives. Silencing debate doesn’t solve problems — it only deepens division and mistrust.

No shame. Just raw hypocrisy on display.

Colorado’s Budget Crisis: The Big Picture

Colorado was facing a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. But instead of cutting waste, Democrats called a Special Session to raise taxes and expand government.

Here’s what you need to know:

While our population has grown by less than 5%, the state budget has ballooned by 50% in 6½ years.
Over 1,000 new state employees have been added every year during that time.
Many programs and salaries were funded with one-time federal COVID money that is now gone.
Instead of reining in spending, Democrats demanded higher taxes on families and small businesses.

Colorado is now one of the least affordable and least safe states, and our roads and schools are crumbling. Families are paying the price while the Majority doubles down on failed policies.

Why We Were There

Governor Polis claimed the Special Session was necessary to “balance the budget.”⚖️ The truth: The budget is constitutionally balanced only twice a year—when signed and when supplementals are approved.

This Special Session wasn’t about fiscal urgency. It was about creating a platform to undo federal tax relief and push new taxes.

The Math Problem

Colorado’s tax code is tied to federal rules (“rolling conformity”).
HR-1 cut taxes by exempting overtime and tip income federally.
Instead of letting Colorado workers keep more of their paychecks, Democrats passed HB25-1296, requiring those earnings to be “added back” into taxable income starting in 2027.

➡ The result? Hard-working Coloradans will pay state taxes on overtime pay—even though the federal government exempts it.

Standing for Life

One of the most troubling bills was SB25B-002, which forces Colorado taxpayers to give $4.4 million to Planned Parenthood after the federal government pulled Medicaid funding.

For years, Colorado’s share was roughly $500,000. Instead of protecting families and fiscal responsibility, the Majority poured millions more into abortion.

I held the well for 40 minutes to fight against this bill. I stood firm because every life matters. There’s a reason for every struggle, and I know I made my daughter proud. I will never stop being a voice for the voiceless.

Misplaced Priorities

Instead of addressing what matters most, Democrats chose misplaced priorities:

Millions more for Planned Parenthood
Expanded programs for illegal immigrants
New taxes on overtime and tip income
Ignored roads, schools, and Medicaid waitlists for children with disabilities

Rep. Yara Zokaie was one of the loudest advocates for taxing overtime through HB 1296.

Bottom Line

Democrats grew the state budget by 50% in just seven years while our population grew only 5%.

We were called into Special Session to cut $1 billion … but managed only $300 million in cuts—while adding $4 million for Planned Parenthood.

Republicans were shut out, our bills killed immediately, and even our constituents were silenced. This Special Session was unnecessary, politically driven, and a direct assault on taxpayers, small businesses, and families.

The so-called “party of working families” is now taxing your tips and overtime—the very lifeline for nurses, construction workers, firefighters, and servers working multiple jobs to survive. At the same time, they spend $400 million on elective procedures and healthcare for illegal immigrants, while families with disabilities wait years for services and rural hospitals struggle to stay open.

In just seven years, the budget exploded, regulations piled up, jobs disappeared, and small businesses—the backbone of our state—have been crushed under bloated government.

This isn’t fiscal responsibility. This is punishment for success. And Colorado, we’re not gonna take it anymore.