On this special midweek episode of “Colorado Chamber Office Hours,” Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson discusses his hopes for the 2026 legislative session, prioritizing among them the idea of creating a more pro-business atmosphere in the state.
The episode — once again hosted by Ed Sealover, the Colorado Chamber vice president of strategic initiatives and editor of The Sum & Substance — is the final of four episodes involving the four caucus leaders in the Legislature. And Simpson’s focus demonstrates how those leaders can have similar big-picture goals, such as a reduction in the cost of living, but different means of getting to them.
Simpson, R-Alamosa, said that he wants to reduce costs via regulatory reform and finding new ways to try to roll back cost burdens on businesses and consumers. A strong focus of that effort will be on slowing rising energy costs through prevention of expensive regulations such as a much-discussed plan to accelerate the requirement for utilities to net-zero emissions, he said.
“The priority would be: How do you make the business environment more friendly in Colorado?” Simpson said. “We have an uphill battle in trying to figure out how to work with our majority-party colleagues and trying out how we relieve some of the businesses’ burdens in this state.”
To hear the episode, catch it here on your favorite podcast outlets:
