Colorado Land Use Bill Dies In Final Hours Of Legislative Session

A bill introduced by Gov. Jared Polis that sought to completely overhaul land use regulations in Colorado died during the final hours of the 2023 legislative session.

Instead of voting down the bill, Colorado lawmakers essentially allowed the clock to run out of time on May 8, the last day of the legislative session. The House of Representatives made several amendments to the bill when it was heard last week and the Senate never had a chance to consider them. 

Senate Bill 23-213 was introduced to the legislature in April as the “More Housing Now Plan.” It sought to require large cities like Denver, Colorado Springs and Boulder to approve more multifamily projects on at least 30% of their land. However, the bill faced significant pushback from both Democrats and Republicans in the legislature because it would have preempted local control.

Polis previously described the bill as “the most ambitious land use policy changes in Colorado in about 40 years.”

“Gov. Polis will continue his fight to better protect the property rights of homeowners and make Colorado more affordable to purchase or rent homes because changing the status quo isn’t easy,” Connor Cahill, a spokesperson for Polis, told the Colorado Sun shortly after the bill died.

SB 23-213 faced an uphill slog after it was introduced to the legislature despite it earning support from some homebuilders and environmental groups. Democrats in the Senate gutted the bill of its upzoning requirements in late April after hearing multiple hours of testimony from developers and county officials who opposed the bill. 

Mayors from some of Colorado’s largest cities also voiced opposition to the bill, which only complicated its path forward. For example, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said the bill didn’t address the “unintended, but very real consequences of broadly upzoning when it comes to displacement and gentrification.” 

Despite the setback, some lawmakers remain committed to passing the bill in the future. Reps. Steven Woodrow and Iman Jodeh, both Democrats, penned a May 2 op-ed in the Colorado Sun calling on lawmakers to reconsider the bill. 

“The benefits of this policy cannot be understated,” they wrote. “The risks of inaction are ignored only at our own peril, and the future prosperity of our state is at stake. This is the legislation our communities need, and the time is now to get it done.”