Overview

• Gov. Jared Polis officially vetoed Senate Bill 5, which sought to abolish Colorado’s unique 75% union security vote requirement under the Labor Peace Act of 1945.
• Polis defended the veto, emphasizing workers’ rights to decide on union representation fees and citing his consistent opposition to eliminating the vote requirement.
• The Democratic-led legislature passed the bill along strict party lines, but negotiations to find a compromise between labor unions, business groups, and Polis failed before the veto.
• Labor unions, led by the Colorado AFL-CIO, pledged to renew efforts to repeal the vote requirement and are backing a 2026 ballot initiative for just-cause employment protections.
• Business groups, including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, praised Polis’s decision as a safeguard against more radical labor proposals and shifts in state labor laws.