Democrats pursued a no-policy-left-behind mantra for Colorado s 2021 legislative session – The Durango Herald durangoherald.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from durangoherald.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The agriculture industry this week won only minor concessions from the sponsors of a bill that intends to grant farmworkers some of the same labor protections available to non-farmworkers. After a debate stretching more than five hours Friday, the House gave Senate Bill 87 preliminary approval.
SB 87 has been the biggest challenge for the industry, already struggling to recover from the pandemic and the Trump trade war, in the 2021 session, opponents said.
The bill grants farmworkers the right to join labor unions, engage in collective bargaining and strike. It removes the longtime exemption for farmworkers in the stateâs Labor Peace Act.
In what could be a first in the history of the Colorado Legislature, a member of the minority party was chosen vice chairman of a standing committee on Wednesday.
That happened when House Speaker Alec Garnett, a Denver Democrat, named Montrose Republican Rep. Marc Catlin as vice chairman of the House Agriculture, Livestock & Water Committee.
Traditionally, the chair and vice chair of most committees in both the Colorado House and Senate go to members of the majority party, in this case the Democrats. House speakers appoint members of their own party to committees, and decide who is chair and vice chair, while minority leaders do the same for their party members.
Civics bill advances in Colorado Senate gjsentinel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gjsentinel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.