It's All Our Business, Colorado

From the Denver Post ...

"Democrats have given up passing a statewide paid family leave program this year after facing mounting pressure from Colorado’s largest business associations, threats of a protracted debate with Republicans and concerns from the governor."

Still more job-killing bills on the General Assembly's dockets. Stay tuned for more.

Paid family leave plan scrapped for this year in setback for Colorado Democrats The state Senate is expected to take up a new proposal Wednesday to establish a series of studies on how the state should go about establishing a new insurance fund for Colorado workers to use when…

Thank you Mayor Suthers ...

Senate Bill 188 "would be too expensive for companies, particularly large companies," Mayor Suthers said during a news conference ... "They'll go somewhere else. And existing companies won't want to expand or hire more workers. This would be a real job killer."

Local reaction Monday to paid family, medical leave bill in Legislature Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers expressed his opposition Monday to a bill proposed by state lawmakers to provide paid family and medical leave, and job protection, to all employees in Colorado. 

Governor Polis:

“From our perspective, any program would need to be actuarially sound and would need to be a win for the business community as well as families,” Polis said before reiterating the need for actuarial soundness in answering a follow-up question. “We have had conversations with sponsors about the language of the bill.”

Even the legislature's nonpartisan research staff have questioned the paid leave program's financial assumptions.

Polis expresses concerns about funding of Colorado's proposed paid-family-leave program - Denver Business Journal Senate Bill 188 is expected to be debated Tuesday on the Senate floor.

From the Denver Business Journal ...

Colorado’s proposed paid-family-leave insurance program could tilt quickly into insolvency if projections about the number of workers who will use it are off by just 2%, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Legislative Council — an analysis that left business groups urging sponsors again to rethink the bill and led proponents to decry criticism that is based upon a “worst-case scenario.”

New memo increases debate over potential insolvency of Colorado's paid-family-leave program - Denver Business Journal A bill to create the program is slated for debate on the Senate floor Thursday.

HB1210 and local minimum-wage hikes hurt small businesses and hardworking employees. Learn more at https://www.ourbusinesscolorado.com/hb1210 |

New version of paid leave proposal has employees paying more | SB188 now a $600 million tax on hardworking Coloradans | Hold onto your paychecks and wallets

New version of paid family leave proposal has employees paying more DENVER -- A paid family leave bill is one the major pillars of Democratic agenda at the Colorado State Capitol this year. With fewer than 20 days to go in the session, lawmakers are re-writing the bill. “We listened to testimony from people in our districts and responded to those concerns and rewr...

SB188: report: "Danger that policymakers will set the program up to fail" | Not to mention a new $478 million a year tax on hardworking Coloradans |

Questions surround crucial vote in Colorado Senate committee on paid-family-leave bill - Denver Business Journal As backers and opponents question each other's numbers, a new study asks if funding assumptions are too conservative.

From the Colorado Springs Gazette editorial board:

SB188 "takes a well-meaning philosophy and turns it into a liability for employers and employees that goes too far and is rife for abuse."

EDITORIAL: Kill the FAMLI Leave proposal Among the radical maneuvers to make Colorado more Cali than California, legislative Democrats are rushing a bill they call the “FAMLI Medical Leave Insurance Program.”

Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association and Colorado Mountain College have voiced their opposition to the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Act.

It's time to slow down the rush on this legislation and to work with statewide business leaders and local communities.

Paid leave proposal prompts objections from Garfield County organizations A broad family leave proposal in the Colorado Legislature has attracted the opposition of local organizations.The Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association and Colorado Mountain College have voiced their opposition

Nina Anderson, owner ofExpress Employment Professionals Grand Junction and Montrose:

"To me, administratively, it's really unreasonable for me to have someone work for me for 17 weeks to apply and be awarded 16 weeks off and I can't replace them. ... It's a job killer the way it's currently written."

Local business leaders oppose FAMLI Act Some local business leaders are opposed to a Colorado Senate bill that would create a $1 billion insurance-type program for paid leave.