GreenCO 2021 Legislative Priorities

The following policy issues will be closely monitored by GreenCO lobbyists on behalf of ALCC during the 2021 session. There will be additional issues that will come up, and these will be identified by ALCC representatives in the GreenCO Legislative Committee meetings.

Water

  • Continue to 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.
  • Support legislation that will help fund the Colorado Water Plan.
  • Work to educate legislators and water policy decision makers on the need for implementation of GreenCO BMP’s.
  • Work with state agencies and the General Assembly on the current drought conditions in Colorado as the state has entered into Phase 3 “Full Plan Activation” of the State Drought Mitigation and response Plan.
    • Work to build a coalition of businesses and like organizations on drought and water issues.
    • Educate and be a resource for legislators, state agencies and local officials on ways to combat drought conditions.

Industry Regulations and Business Practices

  • Support efforts to find solutions to retainage issues.
  • Support efforts to build for better liability protection for contractors.
  • Work with business coalition on any arbitration legislation that is brought in the 2021 session.
  • As FAMLI passed on the 2020 ballot we will stay engaged on any legislation that is introduced on the implementation of FAMLI.
  • Monitor minimum wage and wage protection issues before the legislature.
  • Support job development legislation that creates opportunities to find and hire the necessary workforce in Colorado.
  • Work with the business coalition to address any proposed anti-growth legislation.
  • Closely monitor any legislation looking to cut tax expenditures for businesses.
  • Ensure that “essential” businesses have future protection from COVID liablitiy issues.
  • Closely monitor any legislation pertaining to Worker’s Compensation.

Infrastructure Funding

  • Infrastructure funding will again be a top priority and GreenCO will closely monitor any transportation funding legislation and get engaged when necessary.

Sales & Use Tax

  • Monitor all legislation related to sales and use tax.
  • Continue to support the Sales & Use Tax Simplification Task Force.  
  • Continue to support the 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.

Read the legislative tracking report and see the specific bills we are following. The session convened January 13 but took a recess and reconvene in mid-Februrary.

GreenCO Member Associations:

ASLA Colorado • Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado  
• Colorado Nursery & Greenhouse Association • Colorado Arborists and Lawn Care Professionals • Garden Centers of Colorado •
International Society of Arboriculture, Rocky Mountain Chapter • Rocky Mountain Sod Growers Association