How state policy is quietly crushing Colorado’s small businesses (Opinion)
By Ryan Gonzalez
As the 2026 Colorado legislative session approaches, the General Assembly must make one thing clear: small businesses are not the enemy.
Because time and again, state policy treats them as if they are.
In an increasingly hostile regulatory environment, with a cooling economy and rising costs across the board, Colorado’s small businesses need relief, not another squeeze. Mom and pop shops are still digging out from the damage of the pandemic nearly six years later. Many never recovered. Others are barely hanging on.
At the same time, Colorado continues to rank among the most heavily regulated states in the nation. According to a study by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, our state ranks sixth overall for regulatory burden, driven largely by environmental and labor mandates.
