Video: Gov. Jared Polis gives State of the State 2022 address

Gov. Jared Polis gave his annual State of the State address Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, from the Colorado State Capitol.

Lawmakers have already had a chance to introduce their first bills and have publicly signaled that they will make an effort to protect abortion access in Colorado, push to reduce traffic emissions and even take on predatory towing companies.

The governor laid out his own priorities, which include using billions in federal COVID relief dollars to make “transformative” changes in areas like housing and mental health, bolstering the state’s economy and pushing to reduce the fees Coloradans pay.

While much of what Polis wants to do is likely to find more favor with Democrats than Republicans, he has consistently used his annual address to urge state lawmakers to overhaul — and lower — Colorado’s taxes. That’s one idea that tends to draw more applause from the other side of the aisle.

Today’s State of the State speech is Polis’ last before he faces voters in the fall. The governor is seeking a second term and is likely to devote some time to looking back to what he sees as his accomplishments so far.