Good Business Colorado members have elected to focus on the following priorities in 2019

STRONG ECONOMY

FAMLI: Family And Medical Leave Insurance Program/Wage Replacement

At some point, everyone has a sick child, an aging parent, a new baby, or a personal injury or illness. Without paid time off to care for themselves or a loved one, workers worry about how they’re going to make ends meet with no paycheck. That makes for workers who are stressed and not productive. Employers need workers to be focused and productive to help build the business.

Statewide paid family leave is a win-win – paid family and medical leave allows employees to take the time they need to live up to their family responsibilities caring for a sick kid, elderly parent or themselves and know they’ll still be able to pay their bills, while employers get the focused, productive workers they need to build their business.

SECURE SAVINGS

Nearly 70% of people employed by small businesses in Colorado don’t have a retirement savings plan at work, mostly because small businesses can’t afford to provide retirement packages on their own. Taxpayers are going to have to brace for a huge increase in public assistance for older adults if we don’t get serious. Business owners understand that secure retirement is important – not only do retirement plans help attract talented workers but also Coloradans should be able to live independently in to their retirement years.

The Colorado Secure Savings Plan will allow workers to save for their own retirement without public assistance by creating a public-private partnership for a low-fee IRA enabling small businesses to better compete with large corporations for employees.

Local Wage Option

A 1999 law ties local officials’ hands when it comes to setting local minimum wage levels even though the cost of living has skyrocketed in parts of the state. Families struggle to pay for basics like housing and food, let alone having disposable income to spend at local businesses, especially in places like Aspen and Denver. City and county officials know their communities best, including what the appropriate minimum wage should be so that residents can support themselves and have enough spending power at local business to stimulate the local economy.

Local Wage Option would restore local control so officials can set the most appropriate minimum wage for their community – businesses in these cities and counties will be able to grow and thrive because residents have more money to spend locally.

Sales And Use Tax Simplification System

Small businesses are happy to pay their fair share in taxes to support the state and our infrastructure – but need to be able to do so easily and affordably. Right now, it’s virtually impossible for small businesses to comply with the new Department of Revenue rule requiring local tax collection based on the delivery address versus the point of sale – with hundreds of individual tax districts in the state, all with different rates, there’s no software to track it all.

This bill would allow business and local governments alike to give input to the Department of Revenue on what’s needed in electronic sales and use tax software before the Department would contract to develop and implement the system so businesses could comply.

Affordable Health Coverage Option Proposal

Many small businesses are struggling with the cost of employee healthcare insurance – many can no longer afford to offer healthcare coverage, even though they want to. Providing health insurance is good for business – it helps attract and retain the best employees and it keeps employees healthy and productive.

This bill would bring small business owners to the stakeholder tables to influence what a public health insurance option might look like – and we hope bring down the high cost of health insurance so small businesses can afford to provide it to their employees.

State Procurement Disparity Study

Coloradans agree that discrimination based on race and ethnicity is wrong in any setting. All businesses across the state deserve to have equal opportunities to compete for state funded projects. There’s concern that minority-owned businesses aren’t winning some state contracts they’re qualified for due to discrimination.

This bill will authorize a study of bias in the state contract bidding process and call for recommendations on how to ensure that minority owned businesses have a fair shot at bidding on state projects so every business can compete fairly.

Equal Pay For Equal Work Act

The pay for Colorado women still lags – for every $1 a man earns, women make 82 cents; and only 63 cents for black women and 54 cents for Latinas. Over a lifetime, it can  add up to $1 million. It’s not just unfair – it also reduces women’s buying power at local businesses and costs taxpayers money in safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP/food stamps.

The Equal Pay Act would establish pay fairness and create more economic opportunity.

Penalties For Failure To Pay Wages

There is dignity in all work, and all labor has value, but under the current law, there are loopholes that invite wage theft, labor trafficking, and tax fraud.  Wage theft decreases the purchasing power of all workers who are deprived of fair compensation for their labor, and pushes low income workers further into poverty.  Wage theft and intentional misclassification of employees also give bad actors a competitive advantage over responsible businesses due to their artificially lower operating costs.

Affirming the right of every person to be paid for their labor and increasing penalties for businesses that knowingly commit wage theft and misclassification will help ensure workers receive full compensation for their labor and employers are paying their fair share of taxes.

Consumer Protection Act

Colorado has one of the weakest consumer protection laws in the nation.  It lacks the apparatus to dissuade bad actors from malicious and irresponsible behavior, and violations can be seen as nothing more than a cost of doing business.  This is a disservice to consumers and good businesses alike.    

A healthy business environment and economy relies on keeping bad actors at bay. Strengthening consumer protections in Colorado makes good business practices the standard and deters businesses from recklessly doing harm to consumers. When bad actors are appropriately punished for unfair and illegal business practices, it makes it easier for lawful businesses to compete on a fair playing field.

THRIVING COMMUNITIES

Employment Support Job Retention Services Program

Companies need eager, productive employees to build their businesses and grow our economy. Right now, businesses are struggling to find the employees they need to keep their operations running.

This pilot program will help businesses and lessen the labor shortage by providing people who want to work with emergency help for things that stand in the way of employment, like fixing a flat tire to get to the workplace or buying the uniform the company requires.

Student Education Loan Servicers

Getting an education should help spur entrepreneurship and building local business. Predatory lending practices stifle entrepreneurship because young professionals graduating with unmanageable student loan debt can’t start businesses or grow their companies through traditional financing sources.

Reining in student loan servicers helps ensure the financial burden isn’t further exacerbated by exploitive and/or illegal loan collection practices.

Infant And Family Child Care Action Plan

Many parents of young children are staying out of the workforce because there is a serious lack of affordable childcare, especially with a big drop in availability of family childcare homes. Businesses are struggling with a labor shortage and Colorado parents must have quality, affordable childcare to be able to join the workforce.

This stakeholder driven strategic action plan will help address the declining availability of family child care homes and infant child care, and spur entrepreneurship in the industry.   

Child Care Expenses Tax Credit Low-income Families

Businesses are struggling with a labor shortage that means they can’t find all the workers they need – many parents of young children are staying out of the workforce because quality childcare is too expensive. Colorado parents must have quality, affordable childcare to be able to join the workforce.

This tax credit is part of a package of bills that will help parents/guardians re-enter the workforce so businesses can find the workers they need to thrive.  

Income Tax Credit For Early Childhood Educators

Workers stay out of the labor pool when they don’t have quality, affordable childcare. Due to low wages and little room for advancement, early childhood educators frequently cycle out of the profession, making our shortage of quality childcare worse. Colorado parents must have quality, affordable childcare to be able to join the workforce.

This tax credit is part of a package of bills that will help parents/guardians re-enter the workforce so businesses can find the workers they need to thrive. Other states with similar laws have seen childcare quality increase, preparing children to be Kindergarten-ready.

Child Tax credit

Businesses are struggling with a labor shortage that means they can’t find all the workers they need – many parents of young children are staying out of the workforce because quality childcare is too expensive. Colorado parents must have quality, affordable childcare to be able to join the workforce.

This tax credit is part of a package of bills that will help parents/guardians afford childcare so they can re-enter the workforce – and businesses can find the workers they need to thrive.

Increased Eligibility For Criminal Record Sealing

Businesses need a steady supply of employees to build their businesses. A severe labor shortage has made it hard for businesses to find the employees they need – business owners recognize that individuals who have paid their debt to society deserve a chance with a job and a place in the community.

This bill would make many non-violent convictions eligible for record sealing after a defined waiting period when there are no other criminal convictions.

Limits on Job Applicant Criminal History Inquiries

A severe labor shortage has made it hard for businesses to find the employees they need – business owners recognize that individuals who have paid their debt to society deserve a chance with a job and a place in the community. Businesses need a steady supply of employees to build their businesses.

This bill will provide job seekers a foot in the door to interviews, increasing their chances of finding a job and a place in the community – at no expense to businesses, which can still perform a background check later in the process.

Expand Supply Affordable Housing

As the cost of living in Colorado continues to increase, it is becoming more difficult for our employees to live in the communities in which they work.  At the same time, the average consumer’s purchasing power is rapidly diminishing as an ever higher percentage of their budget is going to pay for housing.

This bill calls on the state to transfer additional funds from the unclaimed property fund and deposit them into the states affordable housing bank to be distributed accordingly.While it is not a silver bullet, it is an important step towards increasing our employees’ access to affordable housing and ensuring Coloradans have money in their pockets to spend after paying their rent or mortgage

Automatic Voter Registration

Election integrity is the bedrock of Democracy, and democracy is a prerequisite for businesses to thrive.  Colorado sets the national standard for secure, safe, accessible and fair elections and we rank number one in the percentage of eligible voters registered to vote. To maintain our position as the national leader, we must continue to improve and expand our state of the art election and voting systems.

Automatic voter registration (AVR) helps Colorado ensure responsible stewardship of state dollars by reducing human error in the voter registration process. SB19-235 would expand AVR to Medicaid program applicants with secure data transfer systems.  In addition to making it easier for citizens to vote, this policy provides the added benefits of minimizing the time workers have to spend updating their voter information with state agencies.

Voter Approval To Retain Revenue For Education & Transportation

Colorado’s education system is significantly underfunded, and our students are falling behind.  At the same time, without additional funding for our transportation infrastructure we will be unable to keep pace with the increasing demands of our growing state.

HB1257 will ask Colorado voters to approve the state retaining taxes that would otherwise be refunded under TABOR to be used solely for education and transportation.

Allocate Voter-approved Revenue For Education & Transportation

Colorado’s education system is significantly underfunded, and our students are falling behind.  At the same time, without additional funding for our transportation infrastructure we will be unable to keep pace with the increasing demands of our growing state.

HB1258 will specifically allocate funds approved by voters under HB1257 to education and transportation needs. 

Colorado Partnership For Quality Jobs And Services Act

Our businesses depend on state employees to issue our licenses, uphold industry regulations, clear our roads, maintain our parks and natural resources, keep our air and water clean, respond to emergencies, and much more. Currently, the state of Colorado is losing talent (brain drain) and money (turnover and overtime cost) by not ensuring state employees are paid and treated fairly.

Allowing state employees the freedom to organize like their private sector counterparts is good for the Colorado economy and businesses. It helps ensure the voices of more front-line workers are heard, which means better delivery of the services we depend on. Additionally, when state employees have more money in their pockets, they have more to contribute to local economies.

Census Outreach Grant Program

Businesses large and small rely on accurate and complete census data for many business needs – from deciding where to open a new location, to determining what inventory to carry, and planning for new products. Additionally, nearly 2,300 dollars of federal funds are allocated for each Coloradan, so an undercount leaves much needed federal funds on the table.

Investing state dollars to accurately count every Coloradan ensures that businesses have the data they need to make well informed decisions, and the state receives all of the federal dollars it is due. Plus, with Colorado’s growing population, with the 2020 census we have the opportunity to pick up an additional congressional seat.

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

Protect Water Quality Adverse Mining Impacts

Colorado allows mining companies to operate with no real financing or insurance to guarantee clean-up when they pollute our rivers and streams. Good businesses take responsibility for any harm they cause, even when it’s expensive.

This bill will protect our clean water and outdoor economy by holding corporations responsible for their operations.

Climate Action Plan to Reduce Pollution

Climate change threatens every sector of the Colorado economy and is wreaking havoc on both our natural environment and human health. Colorado’s pristine environment is key to attracting top tier talent and ensuring a healthy workforce.

This bill would reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 30 years in accordance with the Paris Climate Accord so we can protect opportunities for Colorado companies to flourish.  Colorado technology, renewable energy and sustainable agricultural companies can lead the way in transitioning to a vibrant and sustainable economy.

Collect Long-Term Climate Change Data

2014 measurements of greenhouse gas inventories did not accurately account for greenhouse gas emissions in certain sectors. Accurate and timely data collection is a must if we plan to tackle climate change in the most cost effective and efficient way.

This bill requires that the state accurately collect greenhouse gas emissions inventories and data and report those findings annually to help the state meet its greenhouse gas emission reduction goals.

Building Energy Codes

Colorado building efficiency codes from 2003 are outdated and do not produce the maximum efficiency standards available with today’s technology. Energy efficient buildings produces less waste and greater cost savings for businesses.

This bill requires that Colorado counties adopt and enforce one of the three most recent international energy conservation codes when adopting or changing other building codes.

New Appliance Energy And Water Efficiency Standards

As business owners, we know that responsible stewardship of our resources can mean the success or failure of our businesses – we must be equally diligent with our precious natural resources. Wasting water and energy on inefficient appliances in our homes and businesses is bad for the environment and our bottom lines. As continued threats to roll back efficiency standards come from Washington D.C. it is incumbent upon states to ensure that new appliances sold to businesses and consumers meet the current efficiency standards set by Water Wise and Energy Star.

HB1231 would phase in new efficiency standards for certain appliances that are current and meet the higher threshold which is projected to save Coloradans over a billion dollars.

Just Transition From Coal-based Electrical Energy Economy

As consumer demand and scientific research increasingly necessitates the shift away from coal and towards renewable energy, it is important to make sure measures are taken to stabilize the communities where coal will no longer be the primary economic driver. If not done properly, the transition could have unintended consequences for the businesses and workers in the coal economy. 

This bill will support businesses and workers in the coal industry by providing skills training and resources to help them successfully transition into the clean energy economy; and provide funding to support coal transitioning communities as they work to create a more diversified, equitable, and vibrant economic future.

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRES