Legislature

The Colorado General Assembly is currently considering legislation (SB12-001 and HB12-1113) to provide a preference to companies that are bidding on state contracts if 90 percent or more of their employees on the contract are Colorado residents.

The Bell Policy Center reviewed research on bid preferences to answer two questions relating to how bid preferences affect the contracting process:

House Bill 12-1271

Rich Jones, Director of Policy and Research

Testimony to House Judiciary Committee
March 8, 2012

Thank you for the opportunity to submit this testimony to you today.

House Bill 12-1072

Testimony to the Senate Education Committee

Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst

March 8, 2012

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.

The legislature's Joint Budget Committee (JBC) on Monday approved its proposed budget for higher education for the coming fiscal year. The JBC recommends cutting total General Fund appropriations for higher education by $29 million over the current level. This represents a 4.6 percent cut and is $142 million below the appropriation for FY 2007-08 ­– the year before the Great Recession hit Colorado. To make up for the cut in state support, students and their families will have to pay more in tuition and fees.

On Wednesday, February 29th, two enterprise zone bills (House Bills 1241 and 1251) will come before the House Finance Committee for action.

The Skills for Jobs Act

House Bill 12-1061

Testimony to the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee
Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst
March 5, 2012

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.

House Bill 12-1251

Testimony to the House Finance Committee
George Awuor, policy analyst
February 22, 2012

Thank you for the opportunity to speak before this committee today.

I am George Awuor, and I am a policy analyst at the Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a non-partisan, non-profit profit research and advocacy organization dedicated to making Colorado a state of opportunity for all.

House Bill 12-1241

Testimony to the House Finance Committee
George Awuor, policy analyst
February 22, 2012

Thank you for the opportunity to speak before this committee today.

I am George Awuor, and I am a policy analyst at the Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a non-partisan, non-profit research and advocacy organization dedicated to making Colorado a state of opportunity for all.

House Bill 12-1155

Testimony to the House Education Committee

Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst

February 29, 2012

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.