Polis said Colorado’s unemployment rate is just 3.5% — slightly lower than the national average — and that the state has recovered more jobs than it lost during the pandemic.

“All of this is in the face of rising costs, which is why we want to get this money out to you as quickly as possible, because you know what to do with it better than the government,” the governor said.

Treasurer Dave Young, speaking Tuesday, pointed to rising inflation, rent and medical costs as a reason for the expedient delivery of the rebate money. Notably, the money will be delivered before the 2022 election in November.

“We continue to hear from folks who are desperately struggling simply to make ends meet,” Young said. “More and more families are relying on food banks to feed their families.”

[Related: Colorado Voices | Fighting Hunger]

Earlier this year, Rocky Mountain PBS spoke to Coloradans about how they plan on using the money. One person told us they would put the money toward their student loan debt, while others had plans to vacation.

Some of the people we spoke with will be pleased that individual fliers are receiving $750 as opposed to $400.

“It’s better than not having an extra $400, but it doesn’t go far enough,” said Thomas Law, a Denver resident and a service worker at Union Station, in an April interview. “It’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things, as an adult in Denver.”

Kyle Cooke is the digital media manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at kylecooke@rmpbs.org.