GreenCO 2021 Legislative Priorities

The  first regular session of the Seventy-Third General Assembly will convene on January 13th, 2021. How the session is going to look is still up in the air, due to COVID-19. Safety has been the main topic on how the General Assembly should move forward. One option that has been discussed is that they may convene on the 13th and then break for a month or two as more people will be getting vaccinated. As the state expects to see another budget shortfall, it is unlikely many bills will pass that have a negative fiscal impact to the state.

With the state budget woes, it is anticipated that the General Assembly will be working on similar legislation to HB20-1420-Adjust Tax Expenditures For State Education Fund, which will look to cut certain tax expenditures the state offers in order to fill the gaps in the budget. As many bills died last year, because of both the fiscal note as well as the priority to pass legislation pertaining to COVID-19 relief, many bills could . . .

come back from last year’s session. Below you will find the legislative priorities for GreenCO for the upcoming 2021 session.

GreenCO 2021 Legislative Priorities

Water

  • Continue work with state/local agencies on the Colorado Water plan to ensure conservation, land use planning and sound regulatory development based on science and technology.
  • Work to educate legislators and water policy decision makers on the need for implementation of GreenCO BMP’s.
  • Work with state agencies and the General Assembly on the current drought conditions in Colorado as the state entered into Phase 3 “Full Plan Activation” of the State Drought Mitigation and Response Plan.
  • Support legislation that will help fund the Colorado Water Plan.

Industry Regulations and Business Practices

  • Support efforts to find solutions to retainage issues.
  • Support efforts to build for better liability protection for contractors.
  • Work with business coalition on an arbitration legislation that is brought in the 2021 session.
  • As FAMLI passed on the 2020 ballot we will stay engaged on any legislation that is introduced to implement FAMLI.
  • Monitor minimum wage issues and wage protection issues before the legislature.
  • Support job development legislation that creates opportunity to find and hire necessary work force in Colorado.
  • Work with business coalition to address and proposed anti-growth legislation.
  • Closely monitor any legislation looking to cut tax expenditures for businesses.
  • Ensure that “essential” businesses have future protection from COVID liability issues.
  • Closely monitor any legislation pertaining to Worker’s Compensation.

Infrastructure Funding

  • Infrastructure funding will again be a top priority this year and we will closely monitor any transportation funding legislation and get engaged when necessary.

Sales & Use Tax

  • Monitor all legislation related to sales and use tax.
  • Continue to support the Sales & Use Tax Simplification Task Force on simplification.  
  • Continue to support development of uniform set of definitions for sales and use tax.

Pesticide Regulation

  • Oppose any measure to allow for local control when applying pesticides.
  • Oppose non-research based arbitrary bans on pesticides.
  • Closely monitor and oppose any effort to expand pesticide regulatory burden.

Education

  • Fund vocational and adult education programs for the skilled trades and technical career paths that are drastically understaffed in Colorado’s workforce.
  • Support tax credits for employers who hire workforce from K-12 students, returning military or those unemployed or under employed, and provide technical and/or skills training for such hires.
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