DENVER — The Colorado Senate voted Friday morning to override Gov. Jared Polis’ veto of a bill aimed at regulating social media — the first step in a maneuver that, if successful, would be the first override in the state in nearly two decades.

Senators voted 29-6 to override the veto the morning after Polis issued it. Senate Bill 86, if it becomes law, would require social media companies to promptly ban users who violate their terms of service, make annual reports to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office and better cooperate with law enforcement.

The bill passed the General Assembly with sweeping support earlier in the session. Backers say it will better protect Colorado’s children by removing predators and people who use social media platforms to sell drugs and guns; opponents warn it represents a worrying intrusion on First Amendment rights and amounts to a de facto deputization of social media companies by the state.

Polis fell in the latter camp. He vetoed it Thursday night.

“Despite good intentions, this bill fails to guarantee the safety of minors or adults, erodes privacy, freedom, and innovation, hurts vulnerable people, and potentially subjects all Coloradans to stifling and unwarranted scrutiny of our constitutionally protected speech,” Polis wrote in his veto letter.

He cited opposition from the liberal group ProgressNow Colorado and the libertarian-conservative Independence Institute, as well as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, and more.

Backers of the measure warned last week that they would attempt a veto override if Polis tried to kill the bill. They made good on it Friday — marking a legislative chamber’s first successful veto override vote since 2007.

Democratic Sens. Julie Gonzales, Faith Winter, Katie Wallace, Janice Marchman, and Nick Hinrichsen, and Republican Sen. Mark Baisley, cast the six votes against the override.

"This bill gives us the tools to help remove predators and traffickers who use social media to harm our kids," Sen. Lindsay Daugherty, an Arvada Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said ahead of the vote. "This is not about censorship. It's not about speech. It's about standing up for the safety and dignity of our youngest and most vulnerable."

Letting the veto stand would mean "choosing to protect the business interests of billion-dollar tech companies over the safety of Colorado kids," she added.

Polis' office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the veto override vote.

The House will also need to vote to override Polis' veto for it to be successful. Like the Senate, the chamber will need a two-thirds majority to force the measure into law.

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