HEADLINES

CACI Sets Interview Schedule for 50 New Legislative Candidates; Contribute to CACI’s PAC to Participate

CACI Board Votes Unanimously to Oppose Controversial November Ballot Measures

CACI Submits Comments on Proposed Regulation on Suspension of Sales Tax Exclusion of Energy Used by Manufacturers and Industry

CACI Thanks Chairs of CACI Policy Councils for Efforts During the Legislative Session

CACI Members Urged to Contribute $50 to CACI’s Small-Donor Committee

CACI Urges Colorado’s U.S. Senators to Vote for Bill Overturning EPA’s Proposed Rule on “Endangerment Finding” on Carbon Emissions

Dan Pilcher

CACI Senior Vice President

& Chief Operating Officer

E-Mail: dpilcher@COchamber.com

Phone: 303.866.9600

www.COchamber.com

Monday, June 14, 2010

CACI Sets Interview Schedule for 50 New Legislative Candidates; Contribute to CACI’s PAC to Participate

CACI has set the schedule for four days this month of interviews with 50 new state legislative candidates, who will then be considered by the CACI Executive Committee and Board of Directors for CACI endorsement and financial support from the Colorado Business Political Action Committee (CB-PAC).

To locate the legislative districts, click on:

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CGA-LegislativeCouncil/CLC/1200536136267

CACI is working hard this summer and fall to create a pro-business legislature next year with the endorsement and financial support of pro-business legislative candidates, both incumbents and new, who will listen to employers’ concerns.

The candidates will meet with CB-PAC members and CACI staff.  Each candidate will be granted a half-hour interview.  At the end of each interview, there will be time for discussion with the candidate.

CACI members can participate in the interviews by contributing $500 to CB-PAC.  Individuals, companies and PACs can contribute up to $500 during the two-year, 2009-2010 election cycle to a political action committee such as CB-PAC.

CACI members who wish to contribute to CB-PAC should contact Denise Reeves, CACI Vice President of Events and Programs, at 303.866.9622 or via e-mail at dreeves@COchamber.com   Or CACI members can mail checks for $500 made out to the Colorado Business Political Action Committee to the CACI Office.

Members who contribute to CB-PAC will receive a candidate summary, which will include background, campaign contributions, his or her campaign status and legislative district demographics.  Refreshments will be provided during the interview process, and a lunch break will be provided.

CACI’s endorsement means that a candidate will, in most cases, receive $400 from CB-PAC.  $400 is the maximum that a PAC can contribute to a legislative candidate during the 2009-2010 election cycle.

CACI Board Votes Unanimously to Oppose Controversial November Ballot Measures 60, 61 and 101

Yesterday, the CACI Board of Directors unanimously voted to oppose three ballot measures--Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101-- because the measures, should they be approved by the voters in November, would cause severe damage to state and local governments in Colorado and, therefore, to the state’s business climate:

·         Amendment 60 would reduce property taxes and, significantly, repeal voters’ previous “TABOR overrides” at the local government level;

·         Amendment 61 would limit debt financing by state and local governments, including school districts; and

·         Proposition 101 would reduce various taxes, including a repeal of the increase in vehicle taxes passed by the legislature last year to fund transportation needs.

CACI urges its members to (a) first become acquainted with these three measures and then (b) financially support the organization, Coloradans for Responsible Reform, that is fighting the measures:

http://www.donthurtcolorado.com/

The legislature’s chief economist, Natalie Mullis, has written a memo analyzing the three measures:

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite?c=Document_C&childpagename=CGA-LegislativeCouncil%2FDocument_C%2FCLCAddLink&cid=1251573603516&pagename=CLCWrapper&rendermode=preview

For the public, the legislature’s so-called “Blue Book” will be the best source for non-partisan, balanced analysis of the three measures.  Visit the legislature’s Web site periodically to view the drafts on the three measures as they progress through the drafting-and-comment process.  Click on this link to read the first draft of the analysis on Amendment 60:

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CGA-LegislativeCouncil/CLC/1251573765229

CACI Submits Comments on Proposed Regulation on Suspension of Sales Tax Exclusion of Energy Used by Manufacturers and Industry

Last month, the CACI Tax Council submitted formal, detailed comments in response to the Colorado Department of Revenue’s proposed regulation of 39-26-102.21, which is the new law, resulting from HB-1190, that suspends the tax exclusion for sale and use of energy by industry and manufacturers.  CACI Vice President of Governmental Affairs Loren Furman recently attended the DOR hearing.  For information about the proposed regulation or the comments of the CACI Tax Council, contact Loren at 303.866.9642 or via e-mail at lfurman@COchamber.com

CACI Thanks Chairs of CACI Policy Councils for Efforts During the Legislative Session

We wish to thank the following individuals who chaired the CACI policy councils during the session because their efforts greatly contributed to CACI’s lobbying effort at the State Capitol.  The chairs not only oversee the critical monthly meetings of the Councils, but they also contribute their individual expertise to the discussion of the bills and often testify before legislative committees on behalf of CACI.

Energy and Environment Council

The Chair is John Jacus, a Partner with Davis Graham and Stubbs LLP:

http://www.dgslaw.com/attorneys/Pages/Attorneys.aspx?ID=189

HealthCare Council

The Chair is Ralph Pollock, who is a CACI Board member and CEO of AsiaPacific Access:

http://www.apaccess.com/

Labor and Employment Council

The Chair is Sybil Kisken, Of Counsel with Davis Graham and Stubbs LLP:

http://www.dgslaw.com/attorneys/Pages/Attorneys.aspx?ID=148

Tax Council

The Chair is Rhonda Sparlin, a Director with PriceWaterhouseCoopers LLP:

http://www.pwc.com/us/en/index.jhtml

CACI Members Urged to Contribute $50 to CACI’s Small-Donor Committee

Under Colorado’s campaign finance laws, an individual can contribute $50 per calendar year to a small-donor committee.  CACI’s small-donor committee contribution can be an important factor in the financial support of pro-business legislative candidates in tight races.  During the 2008 election campaign, the CACI Prosperity Fund supported six legislative candidates in key races.

Any individual can contribute to CACI’s small-donor committee, The Colorado Prosperity Fund.  Please mail personal checks for $50 made out to The Colorado Prosperity Fund to the CACI Office to the attention of Dan Pilcher.

CACI Urges Colorado’s U.S. Senators to Vote for Bill Overturning EPA’s Proposed Rule on “Endangerment Finding” on Carbon Emissions

CACI President Chuck Berry recently sent a letter to Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Mark Udall, urging them to negate a proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would essentially require permits for utilities and energy providers.

Here is the text of the letter:

On behalf of the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, I am writing once again to share the concerns that many of our members have expressed with the EPA’s “endangerment finding” and the subsequent consequences of that finding now that the EPA has promulgated what it calls a “tailoring rule,” which basically requires permits for utility and other energy provider in 2011.

Please recall that I initially wrote you on March 2 of this year to express CACI’s concerns.  There is a vote scheduled in the Senate that would bring common sense to EPA rulemaking on this matter, and I urge you to vote for the Murkowski Resolution under the Congressional Review Act, which would overturn EPA's proposed regulation.

EPA’s new rule leaves no room for common-sense agreements that address carbon emissions while protecting this nation’s struggling economy.  Instead, it requires a “Best Available Control Technology” review when no carbon-capture technology has been proven in the field.  In addition, the EPA’s proposal is poorly timed because Congress and the states are currently engaged in an extensive debate over how and to what extent the U.S. should limit its use of fossil fuels as a means of reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere. The Colorado General Assembly extensively debated this issue during the recently adjourned session, particularly with respect to HB10-1365 and other legislation.

EPA’s proposed regulatory requirements of the Clean Air Act would overwhelm Colorado state agencies and the EPA regional offices, which are not equipped to handle the many permitting requests anticipated. Only Congress can act to avoid the significant costs and burdens imposed by the proposed regulations on stationary sources, which even some within the EPA admit could lead to “absurd results.”

The pending EPA effort would burden progress on two of the nation’s top priorities--environmental improvement and economic recovery--by imposing onerous permitting requirements that will significantly delay or even eliminate investments in new, energy-efficient technologies.  Nationwide, millions of jobs were lost in 2009 and these proposed regulations have the potential to not only cause even more job losses but to hamstring our national energy providers even further with conflicting, confusing regulatory requirements.

Regardless of how one views the science on this matter, it is clear from the outcome of the Copenhagen discussions that there will be no meaningful international agreement that puts all nations on a level playing-field with respect to carbon emissions. In the absence of such an international agreement, it would be extremely unwise for the U.S. to undertake such regulatory action as contemplated by EPA both from an economic as well as environmental standpoint.

Without a concerted global effort, it is widely accepted that no one American state--much less one country--can affect the global climate.  Even so, Colorado is not unique in requiring, through statute, an ever increasing amount of renewable energy be part of the fuel mix. 

Any attempt by the EPA to further regulate carbon emissions from stationary sources would be damaging to Colorado and the entire nation.

CACI strongly encourages you to carefully consider its views on this important issue.  We join the many voices urging you to support legislative action that would suspend EPA’s authority to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act.  CACI urges you, as a Member of Congress representing the State of Colorado, to bring common sense to this process and vote in favor of the Murkowski Resolution on June 10^th or whenever it finally is brought to the vote of the full Senate.