In 2018, our members have chosen to focus on:

STRONG ECONOMY

FAMLI

Paid family leave is good for employers because worker-funded medical leave will provide partial wage replacement to employees who have a medical emergency or must care for a sick kid or parent. Without it, many either take leave at the risk of not being able to pay their bills, or come to work stressed and unproductive. Paid leave ensures workers can fulfill family responsibilities and come back to work ready to focus and help build the business. Employees – not employers – contribute to the FAMLI fund; companies just add the deduction into other payroll withholding to cultivate the productive workforce they depend on.

FAMLI media clips: Colorado lawmakers should support paid family leave • Democrats seek paid family leave by requiring workers to buy insurance •Colorado House passes bill to launch paid-family-leave program • The National Fight for Paid Leave Has Moved to Statehouses

SECURE SAVINGS

Most business owners want to offer retirement plans to attract good employees and help them save enough to live independently in their senior years – but many can't afford it. Secure Savings would develop a plan to provide low-fee IRA plans to employees to pay into with no requirement for employers to match contributions. Since only 1 out of 5 small business employees have job-based retirement plans – and a median retirement account balance of $2,500 for all working-age families – Secure Savings is the smart thing to do for employees, employers and Colorado taxpayers.

Secure Savings media clips: Secure Savings plan a start for people left behind in retirement accounts 

Local Wage Option

State law prohibits municipalities from setting their own minimum wage above the state minimum wage. The Local Wage Option would strike this law so counties, cities and towns can adjust their own minimum wage level to more effectively address their local cost of living. This is good for business because when people make more money, they spend more money and when employees are financially secure, they are more productive.

Local Wage Option media clips: Why Minimum Wage Could Go Up More in Some Colorado Towns Than Others •Legislature advances bill to let Colorado cities raise minimum wage

THRIVING COMMUNITIES

Reauthorizing the Colorado Civil Rights Division

Creating a baseline of respect and dignity for all people is a key component to building Colorado’s economy, one of the strongest in the country. If people don’t feel secure, they can’t work, they can’t spend money, and they can’t support our businesses. The Civil Rights Division provides cost-effective training and support to businesses and gives our employees, customers, and community the confidence that they can be treated fairly and equally in our state.

Civil Rights media clips: Westword •Civil rights, PERA’s woes — and an aquanaut for CU regent

Employment Supportive Services Fund

Often, the people who are most in need of work are also the most likely to experience employment barriers such as an unexpected vehicle repair, emergency child care, or required work equipment. The Employment Supportive Services Fund bill would create a pilot project for an emergency services fund that nonprofits and public agencies in economically distressed area can use to help job-seekers get what they need to get and keep a job.

SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

responsible mining

Colorado's tourism economy depends on protecting our pristine wilderness areas and clean air and water. But Colorado allows companies to operate mines with no real financing or insurance to guarantee clean-up when pollutants are released into rivers and streams. The Responsible Mining bill will hold corporations accountable for preventing spills and cleaning them up completely and quickly when they do happen so we have clean water, healthy people and a thriving economy. 

CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRES