State employees who say they are already overworked due to high vacancy rates are concerned they’re going to be stretched even further after Gov. Jared Polis implemented an administration-wide hiring freeze that begins at the end of this month.

Polis announced the freeze at the same time he called a special session of the Colorado legislature — and for the same reason: impacts on the state budget from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act , the federal tax and spending measure passed by congressional Republicans earlier this summer and signed into law by President Donald Trump.

“Our hope is that these proactive measures will prevent more severe actions such as furloughs or layoffs,” Polis said in a written statement. “This isn’t a decision I wanted to make. But unfortunately H.R. 1 is for

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