By Ed Sealover Gov. Jared Polis’ focus on bringing down pharmaceutical prices has spawned an effort to limit what pharmacy benefit managers can charge to business customers — an effort that is dividing business groups and legislators over whether it will be helpful or intrusive to employers. Read more at The Sum & Substance
ADA enforcement proposal could spur more lawsuits
By Ed Sealover Individuals with disabilities could file legal actions against businesses more easily and receive greater monetary awards under a legislative proposal that advocates say is long overdue but that skeptics say will lead to an increase in “drive-by lawsuits.” Read more at The Sum & Substance.
Colorado Chamber Sustainability Task Force Meets to Develop Shared Principles
Polis, legislators unveil workforce bill package
By Ed Sealover Seeking to alleviate the labor shortage that continues to plague multiple industries, Gov. Jared Polis and a bipartisan group of legislators announced Tuesday that they will run two bills that could put $70 million toward helping students get credentials in high-demand fields. Read More at The Sum & Substance.com
Legislators grill utility leaders over rising rates
By Ed Sealover A special legislative committee probing rising utility costs questioned several long-standing aspects of Colorado’s rate-setting model Tuesday, including whether for-profit utilities like Xcel Energy should be allowed to make as large a return on investments as they do now. Read More at The Sum & Substance.com
Denver’s mayoral race may have statewide implications on tackling homelessness
By Ed Sealover Denver voters will begin casting ballots this week to elect their next mayor. And while those residents represent just 12% of the state’s population and skew more liberal than Colorado as a whole, their decision could send a far-flung message on homelessness and public safety. Read More at The Sum & Substance.com
Unemployment taxes could fund new labor regulations
By Ed Sealover Colorado legislators are seeking to use a fund that is seeded by unemployment-tax payments from employers to pay for enforcement of several regulatory bills this year — efforts that come as the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund continues to be insolvent. Read More at The Sum & Substance.com
Right to repair could spread to more equipment in Colorado
By Ed Sealover Colorado’s right-to-repair movement, which began last year with wheelchair equipment, could spread this year to agricultural equipment — a decision that will lie with the Colorado Senate. Read More at The Sum & Substance.com
Special committee questions justification for utility rate hikes
By Ed Sealover Colorado legislators on the Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates pressed witnesses during the panel’s first meeting Tuesday on how regulators might determine when requests for rate hikes would not be considered just or reasonable and when they might reject them. Read More at The Sum & Substance.com