Business owners and chambers of commerce from across Colorado on Monday called on lawmakers to kill a pair of bills backed by Democrats in the General Assembly.
In a news conference organized by the National Federation of Independent Business, leaders of chambers in Colorado Springs and Grand Junction as well as business owners in Denver and Englewood came together to push back on what NFIB Colorado state director Tony Gagliardi described as “a legislative attack on the Colorado small business community by the Democratic majority.”
The coalition focused on two bills in particular: House Bill 21-1232 seeking to reduce health insurance premiums and Senate Bill 21-176, which would make changes to workplace discrimination laws.
Federal stimulus money is on the way to Colorado to help businesses, families and communities
thedenverchannel.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thedenverchannel.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Wyoming Businesses Conflicted on Proposed Gas Tax Hike to Fund Road Improvements
county17.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from county17.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Colorado led the nation during the economic recovery after the 2008 Great Recession, but representatives from business groups said Tuesday that it won’t be repeated, given $1.8 billion in new regulations, fees and taxes.
“We emerged stronger, created jobs faster because we fostered a strong business climate,” and it made Colorado the envy of the nation, said Kristin Strohm of the Common Sense Institute, who was joined by leaders from the state’s largest chambers of commerce: Kelly Brough of Metro Denver, Loren Furman from the Colorado Chamber of Commerce and Rachel Beck from the Colorado Springs Chamber.
But Colorado has been overrun by an onslaught of taxes and fees in the last three years, Strohm said, making slim the chances of a similar economic recovery.