By Jeff Weist, Jefferson County Business Lobby
The end is in sight for the 74th General Assembly at the time of year when meetings and hearings are forever changing and scheduling a calendar date is thrown out the window. The Jefferson County Business Lobby (JCBL) — the united voice of JeffCo businesses at the Colorado State Capitol – has been busy keeping up with the mayhem of this last month and flurry of action, and provides you this update on the bills that we have been following impacting our communities and businesses here in Jefferson County.
Housing Affordability
In our update last month, the Governor had just unveiled his package of bills aimed at addressing affordable housing across the state including the at-the-time 100-page Land Use Bill, Senate Bill 23-213, All eyes have been on 213 as the bill has taken many twists, turns and amendments since being introduced just over a month ago, including over 100 pages of additional proposed amendments. As of the writing of this article, the bill is in process down at the state legislature but you can read this summary to catch you up.
Additional housing bills that are on the move include House Bill 23-1255 slowly but surely making its way through the legislature in an effort to prohibit future and remove voter-approved growth restrictions active now in nearby cities like Lakewood, Golden and Boulder. Local governments have been leading the charge on this bill offering a steady stream of amendments, such as exemptions for lack of water or wastewater capacity, but it is expected the bill will make it through the end of the session.
Relevant and related to housing is understanding the rising cost of utility rates. In a unique move this session the legislature created a joint-select committee to learn more about the issue from both electric and gas utility companies, and customers. The bill, SB 23-291, has faced fierce opposition from companies such as Xcel and while there have been amendments to the bill, expect a fight down to the wire on what the final form of this legislation will look like.
Taxes
And speaking of housing, how about your taxes? There have been hints and whispers for over a month about legislation to address property taxes and a jump in tax bills to homeowners and businesses. The JCBL reported on this in March with JeffCo Assessor Scot Kersgaard and two pieces of active legislation with proposed solutions. However, both did not seem to have the approval of the Governor who in an April 27 interview with Colorado Public Radio provided a glimpse inside his proposed solution with a bill to “soften the blow of property taxes” to be introduced during the final week of the session.
Business Impact Bills
As the session winds down, there are two bills impacting business owners that the JCBL has kept a close eye on. After years of conversation and good faith negotiations with the bill sponsors, Senate Bill 23-172, the Protecting Opportunities and Workers Rights – or POWR Act- in its final form is something the business community can get behind. While the bill will make it marginally easier to establish harassment has happened in the workplace, in an effort to make sure our businesses remain safe spaces for all, the bill also provides employers the tools they need to defend themselves in a court of law.
The other bill, House Bill 23-1032, was concerning to businesses as it related to lawsuits that could be filed about the accessibility of businesses under the state version of the Americans with Disabilities Act, not the federal version easy to abuse against any business owners with rather minor violations of ADA. The bill is not moving forward this session, in lieu of a task force that will study the issue for further consideration.
Lastly, every business owner in Colorado that pays into the Unemployment Insurance Fund is concerned about House Bill 23-1078 creating a new stipend for dependents on unemployment as it could pose a threat to the rebuilding of the fund after COVID. With unemployment insurance premiums up significantly, and the impact on businesses, the Governor has signaled a potential veto on this bill, but it remains to be seen if the bill will make its way through both chambers and to his desk.
May 19th Legislative Session Recap
With mere days before the end of the legislative session, your Jefferson County Business Lobby, and Arvada Chamber, will be reporting to you updates and information on the fate of all the bills we’ve been following. But in case you miss it, register to attend the Arvada Chamber on May 19th for a full session summary with our Jefferson County and Arvada elected officials.
That’s all for this week’s JCBL Update. The latest bill positions can be found at arvadachamber.org/billtracker.
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The Jefferson County Business Lobby advocates as the unified voice of Jefferson County businesses for public policies that strengthen our business climate. The JCBL is a partnership comprised of the Arvada, Evergreen, Golden and Westminster Chambers of Commerce, the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation and Wheat Ridge Business Association.
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