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Colorado Concern
In This Issue

Colorado State Capitol
Join us May14 for our state legislative session wrap-up Membership Networking Lunch 
hosted by Barry Hirschfeld.

 

 Click here for details and to register.

____________________________

Norm Franke, Regional President of Alpine Bank, invites you to attend Alpine Bank's VIP Open House and Cocktail Reception

Wednesday, May 13 - 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Alpine Bank Cherry Creek, 215 St. Paul Street

RSVP to Tiffany LaCome at 

970-625-6659 or  [email protected]

___________________________

Colorado Concern Board of Directors

Blair Richardson

(Chairman)

John Ikard

(Treasurer)

Tamra Ward

(President and CEO)

Steve Farber

Tim Gill

Pat Hamill

A. Barry Hirschfeld 

Bill Hybl

Walter Isenberg

David McReynolds

Larry A. Mizel 

Chip Rimer

Dan Ritchie 

Rick Sapkin

Sylvia Young 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW
Tamra Ward

Score a win for Colorado voters and transparency!  In the final days of the 70th Session of the Colorado General Assembly, HB15-1057, requiring that a fiscal impact statement is included on a petition circulated to secure placement for a statewide ballot measure, passed both chambers of the Legislature and is on its way to the Governor's desk for his signature.   

 

This measure was a key initiative for Colorado Concern, and we led the statewide coalition of nearly 40 organizations that worked with members of both parties and the Governor's team to get this important piece of legislation passed.  We faced stiff opposition by  organized labor, environmental groups and self-identified progressive and conservative interests, but when the final votes were taken a bipartisan group of lawmakers came together to provide our citizens with greater transparency.  Thank you to those of you who weighed in through our ENGAGE platform.  Your voice made a difference.  Colorado now joins a growing list of states that provide their citizens with an up-front estimate of the cost and/or benefit of a proposed ballot measure. 

 

A special thank you to our lobbying team - Erin Silver and Pete Kirchhof - for their dogged work on this bill - this was a heavy lift - as well as their efforts on our behalf throughout the legislative session.

 

To the numbers:  This year 680 bills were introduced.  As the final gavel dropped on Wednesday evening the Governor had signed 183 measures, and 301 were killed in the process.

 

For a detailed recap of the session and all issues of interest to the business community, please click here for a report prepared by our team.  

 

Should you have questions about any issue debated at the Capitol this session please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

 

Warmly,

Tamra

Tamra

THREE SEATS AVAILABLE FOR VITAL FOR COLORADO BREAKFAST
Colorado Concern is a sponsor of the upcoming Vital for Colorado breakfast titled "In It Together - Colorado Energy" and has a table at the event.  It features conversations with Governor Hickenlooper and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner about Colorado's energy future.  It is taking place May 27 from 7 to 9 a.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel in Denver.   There are four seats left at our table.  If you would like to attend, please email Paige Oswald at [email protected]. For more information, click here to view the event's invitation.
COLORADO CONCERN LEGISLATIVE TRACKING

Click here to find out what legislation Colorado Concern tracked during the 2015 legislative session. The report includes links to bill text, sponsors, Colorado Concern's positions, bill status, and additional notes.

 

Click here to download the Colorado Concern At a Glance Status Sheet for quick tracking of Colorado Concern's bills of interest.
Colorado Concern Upcoming Events

Below is information on upcoming Colorado Concern events.  

Click here for more information or to register to attend events.

 

Thursday, May 14: Colorado Concern Membership Networking Lunch and State Legislative Session Wrap-Up Hosted by Barry Hirschfeld

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Colorado Concern, 140 East 19th Avenue, Suite 400

 

Tuesday, June 2: Colorado Concern Luncheon with Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock

11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Brown Palace Onyx Room, 321 17th Street, Denver

 

Tuesday, June 23: Colorado Concern Membership Networking Breakfast Co-Hosted by Steve Farber and Sylvia Young

7:30 to 9:00 a.m., Colorado Concern, 140 East 19th Avenue, Suite 400

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

 

Karen McNeil-Miller Named CEO of the Colorado Health Foundation

Colorado Health Foundation News: May 8

Features Anne Warhover

 

Colorado Concern News Clips

Budgets/TABOR

How TABOR works: Tracking the fate of your 2015 refund

CPR: May 4

 

Colorado legislature's attempted tweaks to TABOR laws go nowhere

Colorado Springs Gazette: May 6

 

A rush to pass Senate leader's bill showcases session's final hours

Denver Post: May 6

 

Development/Real Estate

Construction defects reform: Democrats in Legislature push last-minute alternative

Denver Business Journal: May 4

 

Affordable housing scarce in Colorado

Denver Business Journal: May 4

 

Metro Denver homeowners should brace for tax increases, assessors warn

Denver Post: May 4

 

Bill that could have delayed Aurora Gaylord hotel project dies in Colorado Legislature

Denver Business Journal: May 5

 

Efforts to tackle Colorado's affordable-housing fail

9NEWS: May 5

 

Last-minute agreement means change for Colorado urban-renewal laws

Denver Business Journal: May 6

 

Passing $400K, average Denver-area house sale prices hit all-time high

Denver Business Journal: May 6

 

Opinion: The real issue with the Colorado condo market

Denver Post: May 6

 

Legislative leaders vow to bring back construction-defects reform, ag-land bills

Denver Business Journal: May 8

 

Colorado title insurance commission bill could shake up state's real estate

Inman: May 8

 

Appeals court ruling on construction defects backs builder

Denver Business Journal: May 8

 

Mountain region rents keep climbing, report says

Denver Business Journal: May 8

 

Economy/Economic Development

When Cities and Suburbs Work Together

The Atlantic: May 4

 

Colorado can track ROI for big tourism marketing budget, governor says

Denver Post: May 6

 

Education

Officials: High participation in Colorado for tests

The Coloradoan: May 4

 

Chalkbeat: Mixed bag of education bills crosses finish line as session ends

Chalkbeat: May 6

 

Colorado students: Tests measure ability to take tests -- and little else

CPR: May 8

 

Colorado high school students also enrolled in college on rise

Denver Post: May 8

 

Elections/Politics

What we're watching in the waning days of Colorado's legislative session

Denver Business Journal: May 4

 

Testing, police, pot to dominate Legislature's final days

The Denver Channel: May 4

 

Testing, photo radar add to busy last day at Colorado legislature

Denver Post: May 6

 

Gold Dome: Last Day At The Legislature

State Bill Colorado: May 6

 

Denver election results signal some appetite for new approaches

Denver Post: May 7

 

Colorado legislative session did little for business

9NEWS: May 7

 

Urban-renewal, data-center fights on Legislature's final day

Denver Business Journal: May 7

 

Morgan Carroll considering run for Mike Coffman seat

Denver Post: May 7

 

2015 Recap: Partisan Divides Slowed Colorado Legislature

CBS Local: May 8

 

Colorado Springs man intends to run for Klingenschmitt's seat

Colorado Springs Gazette: May 8

 

6th Sense: Congressional district election intrigue for 2016 piques questions

Aurora Sentinel: May 8

 

Locating the firing squads, snake charmers, grenade tossers, snipers lurking beneath the Gold Dome

The Colorado Statesman: May 8

 

Modest progress for 2015 Colorado General Assembly

The Denver Post: May 8

 

The polarizing bills failed, but in 2015, legislators still found ways to compromise

CPR: May 8

 

Hickenlooper suggests vetoes for red-light camera bills, touts agenda

Denver Post: May 8

 

On the Spot, summing up Denver election: Who won big? Who lost? Who got lucky?

Denver Post: May 8

 

Colorado legislature's selfish pay raises

The Denver Post: May 9

 

Energy

Energy Pipeline: API's new Colorado office director Tracee Bentley discusses her role

Greeley Tribune: May 4

 

Another oil and gas company closing Denver office

Denver Business Journal: May 4

 

Hickenlooper is 1st Democratic governor to call for U.S. crude oil exports

Denver Business Journal: May 4

 

Bill creating hurdles for cutting CO2 in Colorado dies at Legislature

Denver Business Journal: May 5

 

Liquified natural gas may boost Western Slope producers' fortunes

Denver Post: May 5

 

Study: Clean Power Plan could prevent 63 deaths per year in Colorado

CPR: May 5

 

Bill creating hurdles for cutting CO2 in Colorado dies at Legislature

Denver Business Journal: May 5

 

Rocky Mountains launch for Our Energy Moment

Ingindustry: May 6

 

Coloradans Give Gov. Hickenlooper and State Legislature an 'F' for Failing to Address Fracking

EcoWatch: May 7

 

Colorado Oil & Gas Association names new CEO

Denver Business Journal: May 8

 

Fracking foes hit wall with legislature as Democrats sidestep fractious debate

The Colorado Statesman: May 8

 

Fracking foes hit wall with legislature as Democrats sidestep fractious debate

The Colorado Statesman: May 8

 

Climate change activists urge Coloradans to divest from fossil fuel stocks

CPR: May 8

 

General Business

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck gifts $500K to CU, DU law schools

Denver Post: May 4

 

Tap the keg: Denver is one of the 16 best beer cities in the nation

Denver Business Journal: May 4

 

Teresa Porter named Colorado Small Business Person of 2015

Denver Post: May 8

 

Health Care

New digital-health campus names first tenants, adds prototype lab

Denver Post: May 8

 

Labor/Employment

Bill giving $10B to prop up Colorado's public pensions killed

Watchdog: May 6

 

Metro Denver ranks high among best places to work for a small business

Denver Business Journal: May 6

 

Workforce-development package heads to Hickenlooper largely intact

Denver Business Journal: May 6

 

Marijuana

Supreme Court prods Obama administration in Colorado marijuana dispute

Christian Science Monitor: May 4

 

Colorado lawmakers approve medical marijuana for students in school

Fox News: May 5

 

Colorado lawmakers debate drug felons in the pot business

9NEWS: May 5

 

Hemp spawns new industry in Colorado

Denver Business Journal: May 6

 

Hemp spawns new industry in Colorado

Denver Business Journal: May 8

 

PERA

PERA bonding plan likened to Vegas gambling may face difficulty in Colorado Senate

Denver Business Journal: May 4

 

No pension bonding deal for PERA; bill dies in Colorado Senate committee

Denver Business Journal: May 6

 

Tax

Tax-break attempts broken by 2015 Colorado Legislature

Denver Business Journal: May 7

 

Telecommunications

Colorado legislators hang up on consumers' telecom advocate

Denver Business Journal: May 7

 

Transportation

$3.5 billion Colorado highway bonding bill dies

9NEWS: May 5

 

Road-funding efforts crash in Colorado Legislature

9NEWS: May 6

 

Felony DUI Bill Clears Colorado Legislature On Final Day

KUNC: May 6

 

May: State road funding vision out of step with public

The Coloradoan: May 8

 

Colorado Legislature Votes To Ban Traffic Cameras

TheNewspaper: May 8

 

CDOT director's assessment of Colorado's highway system: 'Terrible'

Denver Business Journal: May 8

 

Hickenlooper vows to continue fighting for hospital-fee road-funding plan

Denver Business Journal: May 8

 

Water

Colorado begins $3.4 million effort to save ag water, use it to make power

Denver Post: May 8