Policy Councils
Contact
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Meghan Dollar Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Political Operations (303) 866-9601 [email protected]
Imagine a place in which all the best business policy minds, those operating businesses, and government officials come together, working constructively to forward job creation and the Colorado economy. That’s a Colorado Chamber Policy Council. It’s exciting and interesting, and yes, council members really do impact the outcomes – their work helps Colorado’s economic future.
Policy Councils are at the core of the Colorado Chamber’s work, offering a unique opportunity for members to add their expertise and judgment to our policy-making and influence legislation and regulations that impact business. Council meetings provide an open and frank dialogue between our members, key legislators and state agency leaders.
How to Join a Council
All Colorado Chamber members can join one or more councils by letting a Chamber staff member know of your interest. As a council member, you’ll receive up-to-the-minute notices of current issues of interest to that council and invitations to council meetings, meet with relevant government officials, be invited to help craft legislation, weigh-in on proposed legislation, offer insight to the Colorado Chamber advocacy team on areas in which you have expertise, and perhaps testify for or against legislation. Contact Lo Leeman at [email protected] for more information.
Tax Council
Chair
Phil HorwitzMoss Adams, Director
The Tax Council represents the state and local tax interests of the Colorado Chamber’s multi-industry membership and the Colorado business community. This council provides expertise on legislative and regulatory proposals that would increase the burden of business taxes, fees and regulations on companies. The council works closely with the Colorado Department of Revenue, the Legislature and the Governor’s Administration to equalize or reduce the state tax burden on businesses and to maintain a competitive business climate in Colorado.
Energy and Environment Council
Chair
Doug BeneventoHolland & Hart, Partner
The Colorado Chamber’s Energy & Environment Council provides expertise in the areas of air, water, industrial waste and energy. The council meets monthly during the legislative session and the subcommittees meet on an as-needed basis. In order to ensure that legislation and regulation do not unfairly increase the costs of doing business or make it burdensome for regulated businesses to function, the council works closely with state regulatory agencies, the General Assembly, and the executive branch.
Subcommittees
Energy
Lynn KornfeldHolland & Hart
Partner
Air Quality
Shannon PollmillerBlack Hills
Senior Environmental Professional
John JacusDavis Graham
Partner
Water
Gabe RaczVranesh and Raisch, LLP
Partner
Governmental Affairs Council
Chair
Jenifer WallerColorado Bankers Association, President & CEO
The Governmental Affairs Council is comprised of members of the business lobbying corps at the State Capitol who are, or who represent, Colorado Chamber members, including corporate lobbyists, trade association lobbyists and contract lobbyists.
The Colorado Chamber lobbying team presents the Chamber’s Legislative Agenda and lobbying strategy and enlists the help of Council members, who also discuss the issues they are lobbying on behalf of their respective The Colorado Chamber-member clients.
Please note: Because of the strategic nature of the Governmental Affairs Council, membership is open only to lobbyists who are Colorado Chamber members or who lobby on behalf of one or more Colorado Chamber members. Unlike other Colorado Chamber councils, the Governmental Affairs Council implements a broader business agenda based on parameters and policies set by the Colorado Chamber Board of Directors.
Health Care Council
Chair
Beverly RazonCOPIC, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs
The Health Care Council provides Colorado Chamber members with expertise in all areas of health care concerns related to businesses. The council is focused on state-level health care legislation that affects Colorado employers. Specifically, the council focuses on legislation that impacts the cost of purchasing health benefits. The council promotes efforts to increase:
- Competition within the marketplace;
- Value for quality benefits;
- Accountability for regulatory guidance; and
- Access to quality health plans;
Members of this council include experts from the health insurance and health provider industries.
Labor and Employment Council
Chair
Stacey CampbellCampbell Litigation, P.C., Shareholder
This council oversees labor and employment-related legislation and policy issues that impact the Colorado Chamber’s members and the business community. The focus of this council is to address employer restrictions or mandates that increase costs for business, fight attempts to increase the regulatory burden on labor and employment issues, and ensure the voice of business is heard on all legislative issues that broadly impact employers across the state.
This council has taken the lead on issues of critical importance in recent years, serving as the voice of employers on policies like paid family and medical leave, paid sick leave, wage transparency, restrictive scheduling mandates, and workplace harassment legislation.
Regulatory Affairs Council
Chair
Julie RosenWelborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley, Shareholder
The Colorado Chamber’s Regulatory Council provides expertise in the areas of Colorado rulemaking and implementation. While not limited to environmental matters, they will be a heavy focus of the Council. The Council meets monthly throughout the entire calendar year and may generate working groups for specific Chamber rule or implementation engagement that may meet on an as-needed basis. To ensure that regulation and rule implementation does not unfairly increase the costs of doing business or make it burdensome for regulated businesses to function, the council works closely with state regulatory agencies and the executive branch, as appropriate.