A record number of bills became law in Colorado for the second straight year, and a majority of the 39 Republicans in the statehouse voted in favor of 56% of them, according to a Colorado Sun analysis of legislation considered at the Capitol in 2022.
Of the 657 measures introduced, 507 were signed into law, up from 504 last year.
The Sun examined final votes on all 507 bills approved by the legislature that became law, excluding two pieces of legislation that referred questions to the November ballot. The Sun defines final votes as third-reading votes, readoption after an opposing chamber’s amendments and readoption after a conference committee report.
There were 67 measures, or 13.2% of all bills, that were approved unanimously, and nearly 96% of the bills that became law had the support of at least one GOP lawmaker. Only 14 bills that became law passed with only a single Republican “yes” vote.
And only 17 bills, or 3.4% of the bills that became law this year, were approved on a straight party-line vote by Democrats, who control the House and Senate.
State Sen. Kevin Priola, of Henderson, voted “yes” on bills more than any other Republican, backing 86% of the measures that became law. He led the GOP in “yes” votes in 2019 and 2021, as well. Last week, Priola announced that he is switching parties to become a Democrat. But the votes he cast in 2022 were as a Republican.
This is the third year The Sun analyzed votes on bills that became law. Republican support in 2019 and...
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