Economic Opportunity

Creation of a Manufacturing Career Pathway

House Bill 13-1165

Testimony to the House Education Committee
Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst
Feb. 18, 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.

You couldn't turn around at the Capitol on Thursday without bumping into a policy analyst from the Bell. We testified on some of our key bills. Here are short summaries, along with links to the full testimony.

House Bill 1136 – The Job Protection and Civil Rights Enforcement Act of 2013: Colorado was one of the first states to pass a law to protect workers from harassment and discrimination on the job, but the law has gaps that prevent some classes of workers from seeking redress. This bill would close those gaps.

Job Protection and Civil Rights Enforcement Act of 2013

House Bill 13-1136

Kathleen Hallgren, Public Policy Fellow
Testimony to the House Judiciary Committee
Feb. 14, 2013

Thank you for the opportunity to address this committee.

The number of working families living in poverty in Colorado increased by 16,000 from 2004 to 2012 – a jump of almost 50 percent, the Bell Policy Center reports in Measuring Opportunities for Working Families, released today. In addition, the portion of all Colorado working families living in poverty increased from one in 17 to one in 12 over the same period.

The number of working families living in poverty in Colorado increased by 16,000 from 2004 to 2012 – a jump of almost 50 percent, the Bell Policy Center reports in "Measuring Opportunities for Working Families." In addition, the portion of all Colorado working families living in poverty increased from one in 17 to one in 12 over the same period.

The Colorado Senate today passed Senate Bill 18, which would prohibit employers from using credit information for hiring decisions unless the information is "substantially job-related." The bill now goes to the House.

Colorado Mandatory E-verify Act

House Bill 13-1098

George Awuor, Policy Analyst

Testimony to the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee

Thank you for the opportunity to address this committee.

Employment Opportunity Act

Senate Bill 13-018

Rich Jones, Director of Policy and Research
Testimony to the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee
February 4, 2013

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.

By Ed Sealover
Denver Business Journal

Does a bill need business groups to support it to be considered a pro-business bill? Or are backers' statements that a new law is needed to help Colorado companies good enough?

House Bill 1005, sponsored by Aurora Democratic state Reps. Rhonda Fields and John Buckner, is one of those rare pieces of legislation that sits at a crossroads of those questions.

The measure passed out of the House Education Committee by a 12-1 vote Monday and is on to the House Appropriations Committee.

Senior policy analyst Frank Waterous testified in favor of House Bill 13-1005 today before the House Education Committee.

This bill would create a pilot program that would combine adult basic-education coursework with post-secondary skills training – an effort aimed at helping low-literacy working-age adult students "acquire the educational and technical skills they need for successful participation in the 21^st century workforce," Waterous testified. The pilot program is based on a successful education model used in other states.