Park State Bank & Trust

at Shining Mountain Golf Club

JR Dickens of Woodland Park Research Group

Join us for our Chamber Lunch and Learn Series and learn while you dine!

 

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Nominations are currently open for the following awards: Business

2010 Wagon Boss Spencer Swann (l) congratulates our 2011 Wagon Boss Ralph Holloway.

of the Year; Employee of the Year; Non Profit of the Year, Volunteer of the Year; Project of the Year and Wagon Boss.  Nominees should have accomplished the requirements of nomination during the 2012 calendar year.  All nominations will be kept confidential.

 

The winners will be selected by a panel of judges who will notify the winner prior to the Chamber's Annual Dinner on March 15, 2013.

 

Click Here to nominate for Business, Employee, Non Profit, Volunteer and Project of the Year!

 

Click Here to nominate for Wagon Boss of 2012!   

Are you a member of the Chamber with a pertinent business topic of interest to other members?  We are seeking speakers/instructors to assist us with our monthly Lunch and Learn series for 2013.  Please contact Sue Griswold at 719.687.9885 or [email protected] if you are interested in presenting.

 

WASHINGTON - The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2013 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2013, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

• 56.5 cents per mile for business miles driven.
• 24 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes.
• 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

The rate for business miles driven during 2013 increases 1 cent from the 2012 rate. The medical and moving rate is also up 1 cent per mile from the 2012 rate.

 

The standard mileage rate for business is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs.

 

Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

 

A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) or after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle. In addition, the business standard mileage rate cannot be used for more than four vehicles used simultaneously.

 

For more information Click Here!  

Below are bills brought to our attention by Business Lobby organizations.   The Chamber has taken no action on these bills at this time.  We will be monitoring them on your behalf.

   

HB 1001 - (Young and Gerou/Heath and Steadman) - Advanced Industries Acceleration Act. Creates a new advanced industries grant program in the Office of Economic Development to provide grant funding for early-stage and second-stage development of companies in identified advanced industries including bioscience, information technology, aerospace, electronics, energy and others. The program will be financed by moneys in a new fund. The fund will include moneys from the biotechnology and clean tech funds (which are dissolved) and other new money. Biotech and cleantech will be held harmless in the consolidation.

 

HB 1002 - (Tyler/Jahn) - Small Business Development Centers Appropriation.  This proposal appropriates an additional $500,000 to the state's small business development centers, which focus technical assistance to small start-up businesses in Colorado. The proposal also allows up to $200,000 of that appropriation to be designated to financing the state's economic gardening bill, should it pass. This bill is part of the House Democrats and Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade package of bills.

 

HB 1003 - (Lee and Garcia) - Economic Gardening Pilot Project, Office of Economic Development. This proposal establishes the Economic Gardening Pilot Program in the Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade. This program will identify target stage-two companies (between 6-29 employees and less than $50 million in revenue) and provide strategic assistance to allow them to grow to the next level. The program will report results and conclude in 2016. This bill is part of the House Democrats and Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade package of bills.

 

 HB 1004 - (Duran & Melton/Kerr) - Colorado Careers Act of 2013 - This proposal establishes the Career Pathways Program in the Division of Employment and Training within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. The program will make grants to eligible organizations to help train and improve the employability of eligible low-income populations. This bill is part of the House Democrats and Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade package of bills.

HB 1019 - (Szabo/Tochtrop) - Regulatory Reform Act. -For the first minor violation of a new rule by a business of 500 or fewer employees, requires a state agency to issue a written warning.

 

HB 1046- (Williams/Ulibarri) - Employee User Name Password Privacy Protection. -Prohibits employers from demanding access to personal online social media services such as Facebook. The proposal contains civil penalties.

 

HB 1069 - (Navarro-Ratzlaff) - Small Business Fiscal Impact Statements. -

This bill directs legislative council staff to prepare business fiscal impact statements for all bills, just as they do fiscal impact statements.  Governor Hickenlooper called for these types of impact statements in his State of the State speech last year.

HB 1142 - (Hullinghorst/Heath) - Urban and Rural Enterprise Zone Act  -

 

SB 018- (Fischer/Ulibarri) - Permissible Use of Credit Information by Employers. - Prohibits employers from using credit scores in employment decisions, with some exceptions.

  

SB 021 - (Hodge) - Pipeline Rights-of-way. - Clarifies a recent Colorado Supreme Court Decision to assure that eminent domain rights to secure right-of-way extend to pipeline companies transmitting electric power and natural gas as well as petroleum products. 

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