According to a recent article by KDVR.com reporter DJ Summers, posted on January 1:
Colorado will see a spate of new laws and regulations kick in, in the new year, from legislation, ballot initiatives and executive orders from the governor’s office.
The new laws, some driven by the coronavirus pandemic, run the gamut from taxes to wolves, but have common elements. The plurality expand worker and resident entitlements and taxes, while a minority promote conservative ideas such as citizenship laws and checks on state government expansion.
Some of the new laws that went into effect this month resulted from ballot measures put before the voters last November. Other changes have resulted from legislation passed during last year’s General Assembly sessions. Here is a sampling:
Voter Approval Requirement for Creation of Certain Fee-Based Enterprises
In November, Colorado voters approved the Proposition 117, which will require voter approval of any new state ‘business enterprises’ that exceed a certain size and that are funding by “fees’.
The State Income Tax Reduction
Proposition 116 reduced the state income tax from 4.63% to 4.55%. Low-income families will see little benefit from this new rate. A very wealthy family will see significant tax benefits.
Gallagher Amendment Repeal
Amendment B eliminated certain details of the 1982 Gallagher Amendment, which had slowly generated a dramatic difference in property tax rates between residential and non-residential properties, with homeowners and rental property owners paying a much lower tax rate than commercial businesses and owners of vacant land.
Gray Wolves Restoration Act
The voters approved Proposition 114 in November, requiring Colorado Parks & Wildlife to develop plans for the reintroduction of gray wolves into Colorado.
Requests for Citizenship Information Prohibited
Another new law, SB20-224, prohibits landlords from asking a tenant about their citizenship status. The law stems from an incident where an immigrant who came to the US as a child was asked about his immigration status while filling out an application, and was subsequently denied housing. The new law prohibits landlords from including the question on a housing application.
The Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program
Proposition 118 on the November ballot, requires Colorado employers to give employees 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. Applies to parents of new children; those with serious medical conditions; or those who are caring for family members with serious medical conditions. Companies will be required to start making contributions to the program on January 1, 2023.
Sick Leave
A similar bill approved by the General Assembly, SB 20-205, requires employers to provide 48 hours of sick leave specifically related to COVID-19. Can be used for illness or caring for those with an illness, and to allow for caring for children at home when schools have been closed.
Salaries and Promotions
SB19-085 makes it unlawful for employers to ask applicants for their salary history. Employers must attach salary ranges to job postings rather than negotiate new hires’ salaries without a range. Employers must post all promotion opportunities internally, before filling positions.
Unemployment and healthcare
Another coronavirus bill, SB20-207, loosens unemployment eligibility. Workers whose children’s schools are shut down, who have compromised immune systems or whose employers are not following safety protocols are all now eligible for unemployment.
The Cigarette, Tobacco and Nicotine Product Tax
Proposition EE more than doubles the taxes on a pack of cigarettes starting in January 2021 to $1.94 a pack, with taxes scheduled to rise to a high of $2.64 a pack by 2027. It also imposes new taxes on nicotine products such as e-cigarettes.
Marijuana Delivery
HB19-1234 legalizes recreational marijuana delivery, pending local approval.
Marijuana Employee Residency
HB20-1080 eliminates the long-standing requirement that marijuana employees meet in-state residency requirements.
Marijuana Industry Equity
HB20-1424 was created to try and increase the diversity of marijuana industry ownership with a “social equity program” in the Marijuana Enforcement Division.
Taxes and politics
National Popular Vote
The National Popular Vote ballot initiative was endorsed by Colorado voters in November. If ratified by enough US states, this interstate compact would essentially eliminate the Electoral College process from the nation’s presidential elections.
Citizenship Qualification of Electors
Coloradans also approved the Citizenship Qualification of Elector ballot initiative in November, which requires voters in any election whatsoever to prove their U.S. citizenship. This was already a requirement for voting in Colorado, so it’s not clear what, exactly, this ballot measure accomplished.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.