Economic Opportunity

Colorado Working Families Opportunity Act

SB13-001

Rich Jones, Director of Policy and Research

Testimony to the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee

April 3, 2013

Thank you for the opportunity to testify to the committee today.

On the first day of this year's legislative session, Senators John Morse and John Kefalas introduced the Working Families Opportunity Act as Senate Bill 1. That first-bill status reflects the importance that lawmakers place in helping low- and moderate-income families still struggling as we emerge from the Great Recession.

Colorado Work Share Program

SB13-157

Rich Jones, Director of Policy and Research
Testimony to the House Business, Labor and Economic
and Workforce Development Committee

March 26, 2013

Thank you for the opportunity to testify to the committee.

Continuation of Ed Success Task Force

House Bill 13-1244

Testimony to the House Education Committee
Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst
March 25, 2013

My name is Frank Waterous, and I am a senior policy analyst with the Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a non-partisan, non-profit research and policy organization founded on progressive values and dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

This is a proud day for Colorado.

Gov. John Hickenlooper has signed a bill into law that will allow civil unions for same-sex couples in Colorado.

For the first time, these couples will have many of the same rights, protections and obligations of heterosexual couples, which will lead to more financially stable, self-sufficient and mutually supportive households. Now, children of same-sex couples will have greater protection and security.

By Kathleen Hallgren
Huffington Post Denver

It's been said that the best anti-poverty measure is a job. But for more than a quarter of Colorado's workforce, working hard isn't enough to make ends meet.

In a recent report, we found that more than 48,000 working families in Colorado lived below the poverty line of $23,021 for a family of four in 2011. Another 154,085 families – 27 percent of all working families in Colorado – lived on up to twice that amount.

By Laura Gabbay
Examiner.com

When Gov. John Hickenlooper and TBD Colorado issued a call for comments and ideas on education and transportation, state residents stepped up.  

TBD Colorado asked, and you answered – and are still answering. That's prompted TBD to add some more questions to consider.

In just a few days, more than 2,000 residents have visited www.etbdcolorado.org. Respondents from 70 towns, cities and rural areas across the state have offered more than 100 ideas and 2,200 comments.

Urban and Rural Enterprise Zone Act Reforms

­­­­House Bill 13-1142

George Awuor, policy analyst, and Rich Jones, director of policy and research
Testimony to the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­House Finance Committee
March 13, 2013

The 2013 legislative session reached the halfway mark on Saturday.

Much of the public's attention was focused on some controversial bills, but lawmakers also made progress on a wide range of issues, from education to health care to protecting workers and families.

Education and workforce development