Overview

• Governor Jared Polis officially vetoed Senate Bill 5, which sought to eliminate the 75% worker approval threshold for union security agreements under the Colorado Labor Peace Act.
• Polis cited his long-standing position that workers should have a say in union representation fees as the basis for his decision, despite pressure from labor groups and Democratic lawmakers.
• Labor unions plan to reintroduce the bill during Polis's final year in office and are collecting signatures for a 2026 ballot measure to establish just-cause employment protections.
• Business leaders have praised the veto, while the Independence Institute is advancing a right-to-work constitutional amendment for the 2026 ballot, intensifying the policy battle over labor laws.
• The veto highlights ongoing divisions between the governor, labor groups, and Democratic legislators, with potential implications for Colorado's labor landscape and 2026 elections.