Governor Polis Delivers Regional State of the State in Pueblo, Focuses on Making Housing More Affordable, Public Safety, and Investing in Education in Southern Colorado

PUEBLO - This morning, Governor Polis visited Pueblo to deliver a regional State of the State address to the Pueblo Chamber of Commerce, sharing his vision for the future of housing, transit and public safety in Colorado. 

“It’s great to be back in Pueblo to talk about the issues Coloradans care about most: housing, transit and improving public safety. Here in Pueblo and across the state, I’m focused on creating more housing for every Colorado budget near jobs centers, expanding access to the transit we need to make our communities more livable and affordable, and doing everything we can to make Colorado one of the ten safest states,” said Governor Polis. 

Following the State of the State address in Pueblo, Governor Polis visited Mount Carmel Veterans Center to meet with staff and hear about the Center’s work to support veterans in the Pueblo community. The Governor was joined by Representatives Matthew Martinez and Tisha Mauro, and Pueblo Mayor-elect Heather Graham. 

“Colorado is so proud of our strong military history and our even stronger veteran community. Facilities like Mount Carmel are supporting those veterans and their families and it was great to learn more about their work,” the Governor said. 

Later in the afternoon, the Governor will visit Minnequa Elementary, a math Bright Spot Award winner, to deliver lunches to educators and staff during their in-service day. Minnequa Principal Katie Harshman was a guest of the Governor’s at his 2024 State of the State address to the General Assembly earlier this month. 

“Schools like Minnequa are an example that others around the state can follow. Ensuring our students get the best possible education is important for their future and the future of Colorado. We are so excited that, in partnership with the legislature, we will be eliminating the Budget Stabilization Factor and fully funding Colorado schools so that more resources can go toward teacher pay, smaller class sizes and more,” Governor Polis noted. 

Governor Polis will then be in Colorado Springs to visit the Pikes Peak BOCES to discuss plans to build a campus for career-connected learning. Governor Polis is focused on creating more training and education pathways so Coloradans can fill good-paying jobs and build careers. Over the last few years, the Polis administration has created Career Advance Colorado, which provides zero-cost training for in-demand careers at Colorado community and technical colleges, as well as Opportunity Now grants to support industry-led training pathways. The Governor has also worked with legislators to create a pilot scholarship for the class of 2024, that supports students pursuing any kind of postsecondary education or training in in-demand careers. 

###