In this Capitol Report:
Longtime Colorado Chamber COO Dan Pilcher Retires After 21+ Years
The Colorado Chamber marks the end of an era with the retirement of Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Dan Pilcher, who’s been with the organization for more than two decades. While this is a loss for the Chamber, we know Pilcher will enjoy his well-deserved retirement with family, travel the world with his wife Madie, and ride the open road on one of his many motorcycles.
“Dan has worked for this organization for 21 plus years, and on behalf of the organization – known as CACI for the great majority of those years – I want thank Dan for his outstanding service to the organization. We deeply appreciate his consistent and continuous dedication,” said Chuck Berry, Colorado Chamber President. “Dan and Madie have five grandchildren and a sixth one on the way. In his retirement, Dan will be able to join Madie in babysitting and otherwise spending a lot more time with his beloved grandchildren.”
“Additionally, Dan will be able to spend more time with Madie at their lovely home on Vashon Island in Washington state. They will be free to travel more, travel perhaps more in this hemisphere and the other hemisphere as well. Dan has well earned his retirement and we are grateful again for all he has done for our organization through the past 21 plus years.”
The Colorado Chamber honored Pilcher at Colorado Business Day on January 30th, presenting him with a leather motorcycle jacket and thanking him for his many years of service.
Pilcher’s retirement is effective January 31st, 2020. Please join the Colorado Chamber in congratulating him on a new chapter! He will be greatly missed by our members and staff.
Energy and Environment Council Holds First Meeting of the Year
The Colorado Chamber’s Energy and Environment Policy Council met this week for its first meeting of the year. Dan Gibbs, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR), addressed the Council to provide an update on agency priorities – including the DNR budget, oil and gas rules and regulations, and parks and wildlife issues.
The Council also voted on several bills in the 2020 state legislative session:
House Bill 1025: Concerning modifications to the sales tax exemption for certain energy uses.
The bill modifies the sales tax exemption to only apply when certain energy is used by a metered machine. The Council voted to oppose this bill. The Colorado Chamber’s Tax Council also voted to oppose this bill earlier this month.
House Bill 1059: Concerning the valuation of property used to 
store electricity.
The bill ensures that clean energy resources and energy storage systems used to store electricity are assessed for valuation for the purpose of property taxation in a similar manner to renewable energy facility property used to generate and deliver electricity. The Council voted to support this bill.
House Bill 1064: Concerning investigations by the public utilities commission to evaluate the implications of allowing community choice of wholesale electric supply in Colorado through the vehicle of community choice energy authorities.
The bill declares that the concept of “community choice energy”, under which a community may choose to purchase electricity at wholesale through a supplier other than the local investor-owned electric utility. The Council voted to oppose this bill.
Top Polis Staffer Addresses Government Affairs Council
Council Also Votes to Oppose Three Bills
The Colorado Chamber’s Government Affairs Council this week heard from Eve Lieberman, Governor Jared Polis’ chief policy advisor and legislative counsel. The Council also voted to oppose several bills impacting the business community in the legislature.
Lieberman oversees the governor’s legislative agenda, including developing, and implementing initiatives across all agencies and generating support for the Governor’s legislative priorities. At the Council meeting, she outlined Gov. Polis’ agenda for the 2020 legislative session, touching on topics ranging from health care costs, pre-K, renewable energy, the governor’s tax plan, and the state budget. Colorado Chamber members raised several questions about the governor’s public option health care plan, which has yet to be filed as a bill this session.
Legislation on paid family and medical leave was also a topic of discussion. The governor has made it clear that he favors a model that puts a mandate on businesses to implement certain paid leave policies rather than an creating an expensive new state-run insurance program. Lawmakers are still working on a draft bill on the issue, which is expected to be filed later this session. It’s unclear which approach to paid family and medical leave the legislative sponsors will embrace.
The Government Affairs Council discussed several business bills filed this session and voted to oppose the following:
House Bill 1093: Concerning county authority to license and regulate a business.
The bill allows counties to license and regulate any business located or business activity occurring within the county, including short-term lodging rentals or advertising for such rentals.
Senate Bill 10: Concerning a repeal of the prohibition of local government regulation of plastics.
The bill repeals language that prohibits local governments from banning the use or sale of specific types of plastic materials or restricting or mandating packaging or labeling of any consumer products.
Senate Bill 109: Concerning the property tax classification of property used for short-term rentals.
This bill reclassifies and redefines short-term rental units, ultimately increasing property taxes on many rental properties.
Policy Council Meeting Schedule
Sponsoring a Policy Council meeting puts you front and center with key legislators, government officials, and Colorado Chamber members.
The following Councils are available to all our members:
- Energy and Environment Council
- HealthCare Council
- Labor and Employment Council
- Governmental Affairs Council
- Tax Council
Each Council will meet at noon at the Colorado Chamber of Commerce office throughout the session. Lunch is served at each meeting. Sponsorship of council meetings by our members is crucial to maintaining the practice of providing lunch during these important council meetings. We need sponsors for every meeting, so we would like to encourage members to sign up now to sponsor a lunch! Sponsors receive recognition in both email reminders for the meeting and our online Events Calendar, as well as during the meeting. The Colorado Chamber of Commerce does all of the ordering and setup of the lunch and the sponsorship is always a flat rate of $650. Please contact Laura Moss for more details or to sign up as a sponsor. We appreciate your ongoing support!
Please see the below for specific dates for each council. Councils always meet from Noon to 1:15 p.m. in our conference room at 1600 Broadway, Suite 1000.
2020 Council Meeting Dates
Energy & Environment Council:
January 29, 2020
February 25, 2020
March 24, 2020
April 29, 2020
Governmental Affairs Council:
January 28, 2020
February 11, 2020
March 31, 2020
April 27, 2020
HealthCare Council:
January 16, 2020
February 13, 2020
March 12, 2020
April 16, 2020
Labor & Employment Council:
January 22, 2020
February 19, 2020
March 18, 2020
April 22, 2020
Tax Council:
January 17, 2020
February 7, 2020
March 6, 2020
April 17, 2020