From the Western Slope to the Statehouse: Rep. Larry Don

Suckla’s Take on the 2025 Colorado Legislative Session

As the gavel fell on May 7, 2025, marking the end of the 120-day Colorado legislative

session, I, Rep. Larry Don Suckla, looked back on my first term representing House District

58 with a mix of pride and frustration. Serving the eight counties of the Western Slope:

Delta, Dolores, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, and San Miguel, is a

privilege that comes with a duty to fight for rural Colorado. As a farmer, rancher, retired

firefighter, and former Montezuma County Commissioner, I stepped into the Capitol with a

clear goal: to champion our way of life against policies that often seem tailored for Denver’s

urban sprawl. This session, I battled for practical solutions while pushing back against a

slew of bad bills that threatened our freedoms, economy, and values. Here’s my

perspective on what went down under the gold dome in 2025.

A Freshman’s Fight in a Divided Legislature

Entering the Colorado General Assembly on January 8, 2025, was like stepping into a

whirlwind. The House, with its 43-22 Democrat majority, and the Senate, at 23-12, leaned

heavily urban and progressive. As a Republican representing a rural district, I knew I’d be

swimming upstream. My seats on the Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources, Business

Affairs & Labor, and Transportation, Housing & Local Government committees gave me a

platform to advocate for our farmers, ranchers, and small businesses. But the session

wasn’t just about pushing my five allotted bills, it was about standing firm against misguided

legislation that could hurt District 58.

The Good Fight: Wins for the Western Slope

I came to Denver to deliver common-sense policies, and one of my proudest efforts was

House Bill 25-1121, the Permanent Trailer Registration bill. This bill would let trailer owners

register once until the trailer is sold, cutting costs and red tape for farmers and businesses.

HB25-1121 was just signed into law by Governor Polis and will take effect July 1, 2027.

Another victory came in the Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee, where we

defeated a bill that would have deprioritized hunting, fishing, and trapping as wildlife

management tools. These activities are the backbone of our rural economy and culture.

Killing that bill was a win for our way of life, proving that rural voices can still resonate when

we stand together.

The Bad Bills: Threats to Freedom and Fairness

The 2025 session saw a parade of bills that ranged from misguided to outright harmful.

Here are some of the worst offenders I fought against:

● HB25-1327: Silencing the People’s Voice

This bill aimed to make the petition process more difficult, effectively raising barriers

for citizens to propose ballot initiatives. On the House floor, I called it out, saying,

“We should rename this the ‘Silencing the People’s Voices Act.’” Petitions are a

cornerstone of our democracy, especially for rural communities who rely on them to

counter urban-dominated policies. Thankfully, this bill didn’t pass, but its introduction

showed how far some are willing to go to limit our rights.

● SB25-003: Semi-Automatic Firearms & Rapid-Fire Devices

SB25-003 is a poorly crafted bill that prioritizes urban agendas over rural realities,

undermines Second Amendment protections, and adds bureaucratic red tape for

law-abiding Coloradoans. I, along with the other Republican House Representatives,

fought against this. I made it known that over on the Western slope we will not stand

for it.

● HB25-1312: Legal protections for Transgenger

HB25-1312 is a clear overreach into parental rights, allowing schools to bypass

parents on gender identity decisions and positioning Colorado as a “sanctuary state”

for gender-affirming care, which undermines parents’ authority across state lines.

The original deadnaming and misgendering provisions revealed an intent to penalize

parents for their beliefs, risking their ability to maintain custody or express dissent.

● HB25-1309: Protect Access to Gender-Affirming Healthcare

HB25-1309 is a reckless overreach that undermines parental rights by allowing

minors to access gender-affirming care without full parental consent and shields

providers from legal accountability. Governor Polis’s signature disappointed District

58 families who value parental authority and interstate respect.

● HB25-1133: Requirements for Sale of Firearms Ammunition

HB25-1133 imposes broad new restrictions on ammunition purchases in Colorado,

raising the minimum age for buying certain ammo from 18 to 21 and adding strict

storage and shipping requirements. These changes are punishing law-abiding

adults, increasing costs and red tape for businesses.

● Urban-Centric Water Policies

Several bills pushed demand management programs, incentivizing reduced water

use to send more water to Lake Powell. These policies threaten the Western Slope’s

lifeblood, our water. I spoke out repeatedly in committee, arguing that paying people

not to use water risks drying up our farms and communities. While some of these

measures passed, we worked to insert amendments protecting agricultural water

rights, though the urban majority often drowned out our concerns.

● School Funding Cuts (School Finance Act of 2025)

The School Finance Act debate was a low point. Proposed cuts would have slashed

funding for rural districts like Telluride R-1 by as much as 23%, threatening teacher

jobs, student resources, and basic classroom operations. These rural communities

already face unique challenges, and such disproportionate reductions would have

deepened the divide between urban and rural education. This fight isn’t over.

● Overreaching Regulatory Bills

A handful of bills aimed to pile more regulations on small businesses, from stricter

labor reporting requirements to costly environmental mandates. I argued in the

Business Affairs & Labor Committee that these rules ignore the realities of rural

operations.

Setbacks and the Urban-Rural Divide

Not every battle went our way. Two of my bills, one creating a “Vote Transparency Protocol

Act” to ensure voter access and another removing limits on residential rooftop precipitation

collection were postponed indefinitely in committee. These losses hit hard, as they

addressed core issues for District 58: fair elections and water rights. The urban-rural divide

was a constant barrier. Denver legislators often prioritized their constituents’ needs, leaving

rural Colorado to scrape for scraps. Gas tax fund distribution, for instance, skewed toward

urban infrastructure, shortchanges our rural roads.

My time as Montezuma County Commissioner (2013-2021), where I earned Colorado

County Commissioner of the Year in 2017, taught me how to navigate bureaucracy. But the

state legislature’s fast pace and entrenched interests were a new challenge. Building

relationships across the aisle was essential, though aligning with urban Democrats on rural

issues often felt like herding cats.

Moving Forward: A Promise to District 58

Driving back to Cortez after the session, I thought about my daughter, a Montezuma-Cortez

High School graduate, and why I ran. I want her generation to thrive in our rural

communities, not be forced to leave due to over-regulation or economic neglect. The bad

bills of 2025 whether they passed or failed, showed me how much work lies ahead. I’ll keep

fighting for fair school funding, and policies that protect our water, land, and freedoms.

To the people of District 58: your voice is my mission. Let’s keep the Western Slope strong

in 2026 and beyond.

The Office of Representative Larry Don Suckla

Colorado House of Representatives, District 58

Colorado State Capitol

200 E. Colfax Avenue, Room 635

Denver, CO 80203

(e) larry.suckla.house@coleg.gov

(w) Larry Don Suckla | Colorado General Assembly