Special Session - Executive Order D 2025 009
Good afternoon,
On Wednesday morning, Governor Jared Polis issued Executive Order D 2025 009, officially calling the Colorado General Assembly into a special session on August 21st. The main objective of the special session is to address a projected fiscal crisis stemming from the recently enacted federal tax bill, signed into law on July 4th by President Trump.
According to the Executive Order, the special session will focus on four main topics:
- Fiscal Stabilization: Adjusting or repealing specific tax expenditures and deductions to restore budget balance and protect the state reserve.
- Health Care: Safeguarding access to Medicaid and controlling rising insurance premiums through the Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise.
- Food Security: Preserving funding for SNAP and adjusting the Healthy School Meals for All Program.
- Artificial Intelligence: Amending SB24-205 to reduce the implementation burden on state and local governments, as well as affected businesses.
While K–12 education is not explicitly mentioned in the call for a special session, it will inevitably be part of the conversation on fiscal stability, given its significant share of the state budget. According to the nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff, the federal tax law will result in a $1.2 billion drop in state revenue this fiscal year, requiring budget cuts across numerous state agencies.
The League has anticipated the Special Session for some time and has been working closely with leaders from both parties to ensure that K–12 education will be protected and that charter school funding is not unfairly targeted.
As we hear about specific legislative updates, we will keep you informed. As of right now, we wanted to let you know that our advocacy team, our contract lobbyists, and our allies are all working in a coordinated fashion at the Capitol to protect K-12 education broadly and charter schools specifically.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
— The League Advocacy Team
