In this Capitol Report:
Colorado Chamber Launches Colorado-themed Daily Word Puzzle
As Coloradans, we have a special sense of pride for our state – we love living and working in a place
with such a robust sense of community, love of the outdoors, and vibrant way of life. That’s why the Colorado Chamber has launched a new Colorado-themed word game celebrating everything we love about the Centennial State.
Coloradle is a daily word puzzle where players must guess a four-to-eight letter word in six attempts. Each word has a Colorado theme – like popular Colorado activities, landmarks and locations, public figures, colloquialisms, and well-known businesses or brands.
Every player gets the same puzzle and the game resets at midnight each day. You can share your results on social media to show off your Colorado knowledge without revealing the answer.
To play, visit www.Coloradle.com!
Update on Implementation of 2022 Employment Legislation and Wage & Hour Violations
This week, the CO Department of Labor & Employment (CDLE) provided an update to Colorado Chamber representatives and others on the status of the implementation of the new employment laws adopted during the 2022 Session. An update on several of those laws can be found below:
Update on 2022 Legislation by CDLE
Additional updates:
Status of SB 22-161 (Wage Theft/Employee Misclassification)
- August 30th – stakeholder meeting
- Sept 30th – proposed rules to be released
- Nov. 1st – rulemaking hearing
- Jan 1, 2023 – Law goes into effect
Status of Family & Medical Leave Insurance Program:
- Aug. 19th – Final version of “Benefits & Participation” rule to be released. The Colorado Chamber submitted formal comments and testified on this proposed rule;
- Aug. 17th – Listening session to be held by Division on “employer exemption/private plans” proposed rule.
Wage & Hour Update:
The CDLE staff also shared data on the # of wage & hour claims and fines based on the law/regulations adopted in recent years:
Total wage claims since January 2019 = 8,642
- Some claims are screened out or settled;
- Maximum sized claim is $7,500 and most fall within $500 or less;
- Fines of $50 per day are rare except among frequent violators.
Types of Industries:
- Accommodation & Food Services
- Waste Management & Remediation
- Construction
- Health Care & Social Services
- Retail Trade
- Transportation & Warehousing
- Information/Media
Additionally, staff provided data on the # of unemployment insurance change audits. That data reflects an increase in employer premiums of $395,515 (2022) and $686,654 (2021).
Please contact us if you should have any questions regarding this update.
Air Quality Control Division Kicks Off GEMM Rulemaking Process
Last week, the Air Quality Control Division held a working group meeting to kick off a discussion on the GEMM (Greenhouse Gas & Management for Manufacturing) Phase 2 draft rule. To listen to the meeting, please click here for the video. A presentation by the Division staff that outlines the details of the process is attached here.
During the meeting, the staff discussed the rulemaking process and timing, the working group process and the scope of the proposed GEMM Phase 2 rule. The stakeholder workshops will continue to be held September 2022 through December 2022 bi-weekly, and the draft rule is expected to be released in January 2023 for feedback.
For updates from the Division on this process, please go to: GEMM 2 rulemaking webpage.
If you would like to participate in a work group to provide input to the Air Pollution Control Division on the development of the GEMM Phase 2 rule, please complete this interest form no later than 5pm on Friday, August 19th.