Before the sun rose over the Bookcliffs last week, nearly 60 Mesa County business leaders boarded a bus in the dark, navigating the largest winter storm of 2026 to make a clear statement: Western Colorado’s voice belongs in the rooms where decisions are made.
Our annual Legislative Days at the Capitol is not ceremonial. It is an investment of time, energy, and conviction. This year’s delegation included small business owners, industry leaders, Mesa County Leadership Class participants, Board Members, elected officials, and community advocates. Together, we carried the real-world experiences of Mesa County employers into conversations shaping Colorado’s competitiveness.
We began with lunch alongside Western Slope legislators including Senator Janice Rich, grounding the day in partnership and perspective. From there, our work moved to the Legislative Services Building for a session aptly titled “From Bill to Rule: Where Business Feels the Impact.”
Leading that conversation were Joe Barela, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment; Patty Salazar, Executive Director of the Department of Regulatory Agencies; and Tyler Jaeckel, Division of Housing Director at the Department of Local Affairs.
If there was a theme to Day One, it was this: policy does not end when a bill is signed. In many ways, that is where the impact begins.
In a candid exchange, Director Jaeckel spoke plainly about local capacity gaps, noting that legislation often arrives with implementation requirements that many communities simply do not have the staff, time, or funding to absorb. That reality resonates deeply on the Western Slope.
We pressed further. With a projected $1 billion state budget shortfall, what does fiscal discipline look like? Director Barela outlined how CDLE operates largely through federal funds and employer premiums, explaining that as federal dollars tighten, programs inevitably shrink. Director Salazar acknowledged the pressure agencies feel to avoid fee increases, recognizing that even small increases across departments compound for businesses.
Our delegation raised a simple but powerful business truth: every new requirement carries a cost, whether or not it carries a fiscal note. The phrase “death by a thousand cuts” reflected what Mesa County employers experience year after year.
Our afternoon continued with a focused conversation on energy policy during “Energy Goals and the Reality on Business,” featuring Dominique Gomez, Deputy Director of the Colorado Energy Office.
The state’s statutory targets are ambitious: a 50 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, on the path to net zero by 2050. Deputy Director Gomez outlined electrification strategies and grid investments designed to meet those goals. Our role was to ensure the business implications were grounded in operational reality.
For Mesa County manufacturers, agricultural producers, aviation services providers, and small retailers, timelines and compliance costs translate into capital expenditures, hiring decisions, and, at times, delayed expansion. We made clear that reliability and affordability must sit alongside environmental objectives if Colorado intends to remain competitive.
The day concluded with our signature dinner at Maggiano’s, bringing together legislators from across the state such as Representative Cecelia Espenoza, coalition partners such as the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, and fellow business advocates. Around those tables, the conversations shifted from formal testimony to lived experience. Employers spoke about workforce shortages, insurance costs, regulatory complexity, and the pride they take in creating opportunity across Colorado every single day.
Day Two began with an unvarnished look at Colorado’s slipping competitiveness, led by Meghan Dollar, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Political Operations for the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, who challenged the room to define what “Do No Harm” truly means in a fragile business climate.
We then heard from Kelly Caufield, Director of the Common Sense Institute, who walked through the evolution of Colorado’s budget and the implications of a $1 billion shortfall. The data reinforced what many in the room already feel: layered regulation, rising fees, and fiscal strain are converging at a critical moment.
But here is what stood out most.
Our delegation did not simply express concern. They engaged. They asked informed questions. They offered solutions.
That balanced approach matters.
The Grand Junction Area Chamber continues to carry a powerful voice at the Capitol because it is backed by substance and presence. Nearly 60 Western Slope leaders showing up in the middle of a winter storm is not symbolic. It is evidence that Mesa County businesses are invested in Colorado’s future and expect to be part of shaping it.
If you are concerned about the direction of our business climate, the answer is not disengagement. It is exactly what we demonstrated last week: early engagement, consistent dialogue, and a willingness to sit at the table even when the conversations are difficult.
Colorado’s economy does not function in isolation from Mesa County. It is strengthened by it.
And we will continue to make sure that is understood under the Gold Dome.