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April 11, 2012 11:51 PM UTC

Hudak's HIRE Colorado Act Passes Senate

1 Comments
by: Colorado Pols

We’ve previously discussed how State Senator Evie Hudak’s sponsorship and support of any bill that even remotely relates to “JOBS” will be a useful piece of ammunition in her competitive re-election bid against Republican Lang Sias.

Today, Hudak’s legislative centerpiece jumped over its first (and smallest) hurdle.

From the Colorado Senate Democrats:

DENVER-Today, the Senate passed Senate Bill 1, the HIRE Colorado Act, sponsored by Senator Evie Hudak (D-Westminster). The HIRE (Helping Individuals Realize Employment) Colorado Act is designed to create jobs for Coloradans by giving a preference to companies seeking state contracts when those companies agree to employ 90 percent Colorado workers for the job, certify that they are providing those workers with quality benefits, and offer access to a federally qualified apprenticeship training program. This legislation will aid Coloradans in not just finding employment, but employment with adequate medical and retirement benefits and the opportunity to advance.

Senator Hudak offered the following comment on the passage of the HIRE Colorado Act today:

“As lawmakers, regardless of party, we have a moral obligation to work for the betterment of our constituents, to improve the state’s economy and to get Coloradans back to work. Over the last two years, we have spent close to $800 million to pay people in other states to do work for Colorado. This is a common sense bill that will work to reinvest our state taxpayers’ money within our borders, employ workers here, and reenergize local economies.”

The HIRE Colorado Act will direct state agencies that award contracts exceeding $1 million to give up to a five percent preference to a company that bids on a the contract based on a specific set of criteria. In the case of a service contract a three percent preference is available for a contractor that certifies that at least 90 percent of their employees are Colorado residents. Contractors can receive an additional two percent preference if they certify that they are offering employees health care and retirement benefits.

In the case of construction contracts for a public project a three percent preference is given to a contractor that certifies that at least 90 percent of their employees are Colorado residents. An additional one percent preference is available if the contactor certifies that they offer health care and retirement benefits, and another one percent is available if the workers have access to an apprentice training program approved by the United States Department of Labor. Any company can take advantage of the preference regardless of where it is based. Any company that chooses to hire Colorado workers will qualify.

Currently 26 states offer some sort of preference process for state contracts. The HIRE Colorado Act is a key component in the Senate Majority’s “Colorado Works Jobs package,” a series of bills that will be introduced throughout the session focused on continued job creation and economic growth.

This legislation is sponsored in the House by Representative Su Ryden (D-Aurora) and Representative Crisanta Duran (D-Denver). It will now be heard in the House of Representatives.

Hudak’s communications shepherds couldn’t have phrased it better: this is indeed a common-sense bill that should ostensibly receive bi-partisan support with little effort. While incentivizing local labor for state contracts does run up against the “free market” to some extent, Republicans in the House will have a hard time rationalizing their opposition to a bill that could create jobs.

If the bill passes the House, Governor Hickenlooper’s signature is all but assured and Hudak’s campaign arsenal is expanded not inconsiderably.

If however, House Republicans are able to strike down the HIRE Colorado Act against their better judgement, Hudak will still be able to campaign on this issue. She’ll simply need to ask if Lang Sias would’ve supported the bill if he was empowered to do so. If he answers affirmatively, Hudak’s able to say that even her opponent thinks she’s working to create jobs. If he doesn’t, Hudak can flip the argument: unlike Sias, she’s committed to improving Colorado’s economy.

The entire race won’t rest on this issue. But because the next senator from SD-19 will likely be elected by a razor-thin margin, barring revelations, of course, of a dead boy or live girl, every small talking point can have a major impact.

One thought on “Hudak’s HIRE Colorado Act Passes Senate”

Civil Sense says:

April 12, 2012 at 1:05 am

Wow, Evie actually supports an allegedly pro-private sector jobs bill. That would be a headline. She needs all the pro-jobs media she could get after doing the tax-hike song and dance routine with Rollie Heath on 103 last year.

Of course, this is not a pro-jobs bill, just a protectionist bill designed to raise the cost of doing business in Colorado. Increasing the cost of contracts does a disservice to taxpayers, something for which Hudak is a pro. Many pro-business and limited government groups, including the Colorado Republican Business Coalition, have come out against this bill.

Even if the Colorado residency preferences were palatable to Republicans, adding additional “preferences” for firms with Obamacare-compliant health care plans is a poison pill. Evie and her union allies may spend money claiming this bill is “pro-jobs”, but it is truly more of the anti-job nonsense that she typically promotes.

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Hudak's HIRE Colorado Act Passes Senate

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