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DENVER – The Colorado Chamber of Commerce today released its 2023 Legislative Agenda outlining policy objectives for the upcoming state legislative session. The agenda lays out both short-term and long-term goals that will put Colorado in a position to tackle ever-evolving economic challenges now and into the future.
“With the 2023 legislative session quickly approaching, the Colorado business community faces both obstacles and opportunities in a critical period for the future of our state,” said Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman. “The Colorado Chamber has a long history of working across the aisle to get results for business and we look forward to our continued collaboration with key advocacy partners and lawmakers on unifying policy issues to move our state forward.”
“At the Chamber, we’re focused on charting a path for a more competitive Colorado – and that starts with advocacy,” said Meghan Dollar, senior vice president of governmental affairs and political operations. “This document represents the Chamber’s guiding principles when it comes to policy positions on potential 2023 legislation. We believe these growth-focused priorities will improve our economic climate and help elevate Colorado as a top state for business.”
The Chamber’s priorities for the 2023 session are outlined below:
Regulatory: Labor and employment
- Do no harm: No new mandates and regulatory burdens on employers
- Allow for proper implementation of state’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance program
- Support improvements to the Equal Pay Act
- Ensure the solvency of Colorado’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to prevent premium hikes
- Ensure clarity and alignment of state and federal paid leave regulations
- Creation of an independent regulatory review process and time-out period
- Support improvements to workplace harassment laws
- Oppose legislation creating needless new private rights of action against business
Regulatory: Energy and environment
- Ensure new and existing environmental regulations are cost effective and science-based
- Allow business to innovate and lead on environmental sustainability
- Support employee autonomy in commuting to work
- Avoid complex, costly new permitting schemes on manufacturing and industrial operations
- Support choice in energy consumption and appliances
- Oppose efforts to limit or end oil and gas production in the state
- Align state and federal environmental regulations
Building the workforce of the future
- Support policies to increase workforce housing in Colorado
- Better prepare students for the workforce
- Increase funding for Career Development Incentive Program
- Expand apprenticeship programs
- Support improvements to state workforce development programs
- Support alternative, non-degree pathways to credentials
Economic growth and competitiveness
- Oppose tax hikes that increase the cost of doing business in Colorado
- Preserve current computer software tax exclusion for businesses
- Preserve industrial energy use tax exemption
- Support the reduction and eventual phase-out of the business personal property tax
- Prioritize highways, bridges and roads in transportation funding
- Promote flexibility, oppose new mandates on health insurance policies
- Improve the safety of local Colorado communities
The Chamber’s policy priorities were developed with direction from the organization’s first annual survey of business leaders released in October 2022. The survey found that the top two concerns among Colorado CEOs are the state’s regulatory climate and workforce issues.
For more details on the Colorado Chamber’s 2023 Legislative Agenda and to view the document in full, please visit: https://cochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2023-Legislative-Agenda.pdf.
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The Colorado Chamber of Commerce champions free enterprise, a healthy business environment and economic prosperity for all Coloradans. It is the only business association that works to improve the business climate for all sizes of business from a statewide, multi-industry perspective. What the Colorado Chamber accomplishes is good for all businesses, and that’s good for the state’s economy. It was created in 1965 based on the merger with the Colorado Manufacturers’ Association.