Governor-elect Weiser makes data centers, social media and youth programs priorities

Colorado Gov.-elect Phil Weiser, currently the state’s attorney general, took to the podium Wednesday to outline his priorities once he is sworn in next year.

He is not inheriting an easy job. Colorado is facing a third straight year of a billion-dollar budget deficit. The state’s business leaders are calling for steps to make Colorado more competitive with its peers as economic growth stalls. Tension around data centers and AI boils over.

“We have challenges on several fronts. I believe one of the most important things I will have to do is build a team worthy of meeting those challenges,” Weiser said during a news conference at the Capitol.

In addition to sweeping every statewide office in Colorado, Democrats gained a supermajority in the state Legislature. Weiser said he looks forward to working with lawmakers from both parties. He has not ruled out appointing Republicans to his cabinet.

“My instructions are to recruit the best people, which means if you’re a Republican, you’re unaffiliated, you’re a Democrat, I want you to apply because we need the best people possible to build the leadership that Colorado deserves,” Weiser said.

Weiser pledged to take seriously business leaders’ concerns about the state’s economic trajectory.

McKenzie Lange/CPR News

“We have passed laws in the past that are overly broad and impose restrictions on businesses that make it more difficult for them to operate. We should be willing to ask, ‘Can we create more targeted laws?’ Can we remove unnecessary and cumbersome restrictions? “The dialogue I’ve had with the business community will continue. It’s really important that when we make public policy, those who are affected are at the table,” he said.

His top three legislative priorities upon taking office are data centers, social media regulation and ColoradoCorps., a program that empowers 18-26 year olds to serve communities.

Weiser’s main points on his legislative agenda are:

On data centers:

“There have been data centers where communities feel like they’ve been pushed down the throat. That shouldn’t have happened… We need to make sure we have guardrails in place for those data centers to pay for their own power needs… We have clean energy commitments and we’re committed to protecting our water… There are data center opportunities in Colorado.”

On social networks:

“Our office wrote a report, and the report states that for young people, accessing guns and fentanyl on social media is as easy as buying pizza and that social media platforms operate in a highly irresponsible manner…Governor Polis vetoed the bill based on this report. I look forward to signing it, it will be one of my first acts.”

On ColoradoCorps:

“(The goal is) to call young people to serve. I recently went to speak at Community College of Aurora, and they have a nursing program, which is one of the avenues I want to develop.”