🇺🇸 AMERICA WORKS

Check out this fantastic video from the Job Creators Network Foundation, founded by business leaders with a focus on empowering individuals through basic public policy education. This video is about how America Works because America Works–all about how gainful employment gives purpose and drives our economy forward.

💰 MICHAEL FIELDS: AFFORDABILITY

Below is a excerpt of an opinion editorial from Advance Colorado's President, Michael Fields, published in the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel this past Sunday.

Despite extensive grandstanding on the issue of affordability at the beginning of this legislative session (and before the November election), liberals in the Colorado legislature balked at the idea of repealing that pesky $0.27 fee you’ve started paying on every delivery from Amazon, Uber Eats, Doordash, and others.

First-term State Representative Rose Pugliese’s (R-Colorado Springs) House Bill 23-1166 would have done exactly that. It’s a simple piece of legislation that lifts the financial burden from Coloradans and gives them back about $90 million a year in savings. Last week, the bill was killed on a party-line vote.

While I imagine that Representative Pugliese was expecting this result, she certainly shouldn’t have. Quite frankly, neither should the public. This fee isn’t popular, nor is it a long-standing revenue stream that our services are reliant upon. It’s a recently-implemented (2021) measure that regressively impacts those who are struggling the most within our communities today. I’m sure that Representative Pugliese would have welcomed bipartisan sponsorship and support of her legislation, but it never came.

Click here to read the full op-ed.

💊 CRACKING DOWN ON DEALERS

Senate Bill 23-109, by Senators Byron Pelton (R-Sterling) and Kyle Mullica (D-Thornton), makes it a level 1 drug felony if an individual sells a controlled substance to an individual that, when used by the buyer, leads to their death.

The bill passed the Senate on March 22nd by a vote of 19 to 16, and now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.

“In the midst of an overdose and substance use crisis, Coloradans are asking for solutions. We commend the sponsors of SB23-109 for taking the first step towards giving our legal system the ability to hold drug dealers accountable for the deaths they cause," said Michael Fields, President of Advance Colorado. "Over a thousand Coloradans died last year because somebody wanted to make a quick buck. We hope that the House follows suit in passing this bill so we can finally hold those individuals accountable.”

👩‍🏫 TEACHER SUPPLIES TAX CREDIT

It seems that liberals in the legislature may finally be on board with giving Colorado teachers an income tax credit for the supplies they buy for their classroom. House Bill 23-1208 was recently introduced with bipartisan sponsorship. The bill provides a $1,000 income tax credit to teachers.

If that bill sounds familiar, there's a good reason for it.

HB23-1208 is nearly identical to five other bills that have been introduced by conservatives in the legislature over the last five years, including:

Senate Bill 19-060 by Senator Owen Hill (R)

House Bill 20-1125 by Representatives Mark Baisley (R) and Bri Buentello (D)

Senate Bill 20-050 by Senator Rob Woodward (R)

House Bill 22-1126 by Representative Janice Rich (R)

Senate Bill 23-030 by Senator Janice Rich (R)

All five of these bills would have also provided an income tax credit to teachers for supplies they purchase, but all unfortunately were killed early on in committee.

HB23-1208 passed the House Education Committee on March 23rd and now heads to the House Finance Committee.