GreenCO announces 2020 legislative priorities Email
Written by Jay Hicks   
Tuesday, January 07, 2020 04:00 AM

Colorado state capitolThe 72nd  Colorado General Assembly convened today, January 8th. Ahead of this legislative session, GreenCO lobbyists prepared its 2020 legislative priorities for the Colorado green industry. Six areas of focus include water, industry regulation, infrastructure funding, sales and use tax, pesticide regulation, and education.

Water

  • With the passage of the ballot proposal DD for legalized sports betting to fund water needs in Colorado, GreenCO will need to engage with this development process for new revenue to ensure proper use and priorities are meet such as water conservation, reuse, storage for both indoor and outdoor applications.
  • Continue work with state/local agencies on the Colorado Water plan to ensure conservation, land use planning and sound regulatory development based on science and technology.
  • Work to educate legislators and water policy decision-makers on the need for implementation and expansion of GreenCO BMPs.
  • Monitor hemp production water policy and educate policymakers on vital water studies- 3% water usage study.

Industry Regulation- Investment in Colorado Businesses

  • Support efforts to find solutions to retainage issues and support efforts to build on 2017 bill for better liability protection for contractors.
  • Work with business coalition to address business issues with FAMLI study report and 2020 legislation. Suggest exemptions for federally compliant businesses and other possible solutions.
  • Monitor minimum wage issues and wage protection issues before the legislature.
  • Support job development legislation that creates opportunity to find and hire necessary work force in Colorado.
  • Ensure proper regulatory development for bulk fertilizer exemption bill.
  • Work with business coalition to address and proposed anti-growth legislation.

Infrastructure Funding

  • Continue to monitor SB-267 and SB-01 transportation funding for CDOT projects statewide.
  • Work with key legislators on transportation and water funding, Ballot DD measure and other forms of new legislation for revenue.
  • Support as needed Water Committee interim bills and the State Water Project funding bill.

Sales & Use Tax

  • Monitor all legislation related to sales and use tax in 2020 session.
  • Continue to support sales tax simplification and the recommendation from the task force to create a single point of payment for business.
  • Support development of a uniform set of definitions for sales and use tax.

Pesticide Regulation

  • Oppose any measure to allow for local control when applying pesticides.
  • Oppose non-research based arbitrary bans on pesticides.
  • Closely monitor and oppose any effort to expand pesticide regulatory burden.

Education

  • Fund vocational and adult education programs for the skilled trades and technical career paths that are drastically understaffed in Colorado’s workforce.
  • Support tax credits for employers who hire workforce from K-12 students, returning military or those unemployed or underemployed, and provide technical and/or skills training for such hires.

Follow bills in real time at https://coloradocapitolwatch.com/bill-tracker-votes/0/1550/2020/0/.

Read more in this issue of Colorado Green NOW:
Blue hues in the spotlight for 2020
NALP predicts top five landscaping trends of 2020

Perennial top performers are reliable plants for Colorado landscapes

DOL issues more clarification on FLSA compliance