When Colorado Governor Jared Polis was asked at a recent press conference if he would sign HB 1317, a controversial medical marijuana bill, he dodged a straightforward answer despite voicing support for other legislation that passed in 2021.
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.
House Bill 1304 faced only minor opposition in the Senate, with a unanimous vote from Senate Education and only two "no" votes in Senate Appropriations. There was no debate on