March 23, 2018

Governmental Affairs Committee Update:
On Tuesday morning, after the Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee received updates from the state capitol from Senator Don Coram, Representative Dan Thurlow, and Representative Yeulin Willett, the committee took action on the following bills:

Chamber Supports:
• SB18-193 Limit State Agency Occupational Regulations 
• SB18-205 Industrial Hemp Designation Agricultural Product 
• HB18-1250 Analysis to Improve Compliance with Rules By Businesses 
• HB18-1271 Public Utilities Commission Electric Utilities Economic Development Rates 

Chamber Opposes:
• HB18-1261 Colorado Arbitration Fairness Act 
• HB18-1262 Concerning the "Arbitration Services Provider Transparency Act"
• HB18-1274 Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2050

Chamber is Monitoring:
• SB18-171 Marketplace Contractor Workers' Compensation Unemployment 
• SB18-198 Fermented Malt Beverage Expanded Malt Liquor

If you have a bill you would like the committee to consider, contact darcy@gjchamber.org.

The next legislative videoconference will be held on Tuesday, April 3 at 7:00 am, at the Chamber in the lower conference room. Click here to register online. Thank you to videoconference sponsor: Express Employment Professionals. 

Colorado Senate Compromises on Transportation Bill:
On Wednesday, SB18-001, “Transportation Infrastructure Funding”, passed its second reading in the Senate, with the addition of a new amendment. As written, SB18-001 would ask voters to authorize the state to issue additional transportation revenue anticipation notes in order to pay for critical transportation projects, without raising taxes. The new amendment will take the proposed bond package off of the 2018 ballot, making way for a proposed sales tax increase to fund transportation. The amendment also commits $500 million of surplus tax revenue to new road projects. Before heading to the House, SB18-001 will have a final vote in the Senate. For more information, click here.

Congress Approves $1.3 Trillion Spending Bill:
Early Friday morning, the U.S. Senate approved a $1.3 trillion spending bill by a 65 to 32 vote. The bill is over 2,000 pages long and will provide funding for the government through September. The spending measure includes an $80 billion increase in military spending, an additional $1.6 billion for border security, and increases for broadband development and federal highway projects. To read more, click here.

YEA! Investor Panel on March 28:
Don’t miss the Young Entrepreneurs Academy Investor Panel next Wednesday, March 28 at the Courtyard by Marriott from 6:00 – 8:00 PM. For the first time, eight middle and high school students will be publicly pitching their companies to a panel of investors composed of this year’s program sponsors. Up to $7,000 will be available to provide seed funding for the startup companies. In addition, one of the students will be selected as the Saunders Scholar and will compete regionally for up to $50,000 in scholarship funding. For more information about the YEA! Investor Panel, click here.