Advocacy Report

AGC Meets with Denver Mayor Johnson to Review Vibrant Denver Bond Proposal

The Denver City Council has voted to Refer a $950M Bond package of projects to the Nov 2025 ballot, asking voters to consider 5 separate questions:

• Transportation and mobility, including rebuilds of major road bridges, for $441,420,000
• City facilities, such as libraries, cultural centers and a training center for emergency responders, for $244,430,000
• Parks and recreation, including new parks and facility upgrades, for $174,750,000
• Housing and shelter, including subsidy programs, facility upgrades and funding for affordable housing, for $59,300,000
• Health and human services, including new and expanded facilities, for $30,100,000

AGC CEO Jeff Barratt and Advocacy Director Michael Gifford met with Denver Mayor Johnson this week to review the list of 59 proposed projects and the Yes campaign plan.

Governor Calls Special Session of State Legislature Starting Aug 21 to Address $1B Budget Shortfall

By AGC Lobbyist Amy Attwood

 

Governor Polis has called the Colorado General Assembly into a special session, which will begin on August 21st, to address the estimated $1.2 billion shortfall in the state budget resulting from federal tax policy changes in HR1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). He has also ordered agencies to implement a hiring freeze through the end of the year.

 

The special session will last a minimum of three days; the end date is unclear. The natural pressures exerted by the Labor Day holiday are likely intended to prompt a finish no later than August 29. We anticipate a concerted effort to keep the session as short as possible; they will meet over the weekend.

 

According to the Colorado Constitution, the call for a special session does not suggest the specific form legislation should take; however, the business to be transacted at the special session MUST be limited to the matters stated in the Executive Order. The language in the EO as it relates to fiscal policy is surprisingly concise. We will work hard to gain greater clarity on the scope of potential program or budget reductions. There is a need for additional spending created by HR1, particularly for Medicaid and the Department of Human Services (DHS). How those new expenditures are to be funded is also something requiring greater clarity. Any legislator may introduce bills (there will likely be a cap imposed on the number of bills per legislator, but we don't have that information yet) on these topics. It is common for any bills that are not part of a larger "deal" to die quickly in their first committee hearing on the first day of the special session. The main topics will be as follows:

• Changes to fiscal policy, including statutes governing Executive Branch authority in situations with declining revenue (this bears close watching), insurance premium tax credits, corporate tax policy including qualified business income deduction, Home Office and Regional Home Office rates, foreign listed jurisdictions, sales Tax Vendor fees, and the Foreign-Derived Intangible Income deduction.
• Assisting individuals on Medicaid receiving services from Planned Parenthood.
• Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise HB25-1297from the 2025 session.
• Adjustments to the referred measure fromHB25-1274, which relates to the Healthy School Meals for All Program, to include SNAP costs.
• Adjustments and reductions for "covered businesses and State and local governments" to SB24-205, the 2024 legislation on Artificial Intelligence.

We are working diligently to continue to understand the scope of the session and specific plans on behalf of the Governor, the Joint Budget Committee, legislative leadership, and individual legislators. We will continue to keep you updated as we know more.

 

AGC lobbyists Michael Gifford and Amy Attwood are already working to protect and advance construction industry interests under the direction of the AGC Legislative Committee and Board of Directors. Areas of focus are Capital Construction & Controlled Maintenance funding, BEST program funding, Water Quality Improvement Fund balance, and CTE (Career Technical Education) workforce development funding in the Colorado Dept of Education (CDE). Watch for more information the Special Session moves forward.

 

We have received some governance questions about Special Sessions. Here is a handy FAQ Memo on Special Sessions from the Colorado Office of Legal Services for the Colorado General Assembly.

 

AGC Attends Capital Development Committee Meeting to Represent the Construction Industry

AGC Advocacy Director Michael Gifford and Lobbyist Amy Attwood attended the state Capital Development Committee meeting this week at the Capitol. The committee was discussing possible holdbacks of previously appropriated capital construction, capital renewal and controlled maintenance funding at 44 different state agencies and universities. AGC is advocating to maintain this funding and is working with legislatures who favor keeping the funding in place. Stay tuned as the Special Session to deal with a $1B budget shortfall for the July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026 fiscal year starts on August 21.

 

HB25-1001 Wage Theft Bill Goes Into Effect Aug 6

AGC successfully defeated a bad for construction Wage Theft bill in the 2024 Legislative Session (HB24-1008), gaining a Governor Polis Veto of the bill. That bill made the general contractor or top tier specialty contractor immediately responsible for wage payment violations of lower tier specialty contractors, and the bill picked on the construction industry while leaving other industries unregulated (the construction industry only has 5-8% of the wage theft claims adjudicated by CDLE according to their data). In 2025, proponents came back with a weaker version aimed at all industries, with no upstream liability for contractors or other companies. The provisions of the new law, HB25-1001 Enforcement Wage Hour Laws, which went into effect on August 6 (90 days after adjournment of the 2025 session), include:

• Employers found misclassifying employees as contractors will be subject to fines that begin at $5,000 for a willful violation and rise to as much as $50,000 per instance for subsequent willful violations that are not remedied within 60 days;
• Enforcement of the law and the ability of workers to file lawsuits against alleged violators will grow from employees to include independent contractors, which will expand the scope of the law substantially;
• Employers who take an adverse action against employees within 90 days of those workers filing a wage-theft complaint will be assumed to be retaliating against them. Business groups sought removal of this clause, but sponsors instead expanded the provision to say that workers disciplined more than 90 days after filing complaints also could argue that they were targeted for retaliation;
• Colorado Department of Labor and Employment administrators can go beyond lost wages and award compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees in discrimination or retaliation claims;
• Changes to current law make it more difficult for defendant employers to be awarded costs and attorney fees when they argue legal actions against them were meritless; and,
• Complainants will be able to seek damages not just from majority owners of the companies but from minority owners who hold at least a 25% share of the business, the law clarifies.
• Another major provision of the law takes effect in July 2026 — a clause that expands from $7,500 to $13,000 the maximum size of a wage-theft claim that can be investigated by CDLE. AGC and other business leaders pushed for this change for years, believing it will keep more claims adjudicated administratively rather than filed as lawsuits.

 

Colorado employers must prepare for new wage-theft law The Sum & Substance from Colorado Chamber of Commerce

 

AGC Meets with Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation on HB25-1300 Workers’ Comp Benefits

AGC Advocacy Director Michael Gifford met with Colorado Dept of Labor & Employment (CDLE) Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation this week to review the rollout plan for HB25-1300 Workers’ Compensation Benefits – the controversial bill that takes aways the employers right to designate a list of 4 doctors to treat work comp injuries – and allows injured employees to choose any doctor from the state’s list of 1,200 Level 1 and 2 physicians. The bill is effective January 1, 2028, so there is some time for the construction industry and the larger business community to prepare. In the meantime, the division plans to hold 3 “listening sessions” to hear concerns and questions from employers and employees. AGC will publish these dates as soon as they are scheduled by the division.

 

AGC Starts to Interview Candidates for City Council and 2027 State Legislature

Election season already? AGC has started interviewing candidates for state House and Senate seats in the 2027 legislature. Candidates are always looking to the next election and AGC has an active Political Action Committee (PAC) that supports business friendly candidates.

 

How Employers Can Prepare for DHS/ICE Raids & Ensure Compliance with Immigration Laws

In light of increased ICE activity around the country and the rapidly evolving landscape around U.S. immigration policy, AGC has released a new online resource center for contractors. Read More

 

AGC has also partnered with AGC Member Fisher Phillips to provide a free 1-page guide for members on how to respond to an ICE immigration visit or jobsite raid. Fisher Phillips also has a more comprehensive packet available for a fee. Contact Fisher Phillips for more information.

 

AGC also has a webinar scheduled for August 27 focused on communications practices to user during an ICE enforcement activity. This webinar is free for AGC members.

 

AGC State Bill Tracker

For a complete list of AGC state bill positions see our handy dandy AGC Bill Tracker. For questions contact Michael Gifford at mgifford@agccolorado.org

 

AGC Legislative Committee to Hold Member Reception on September 9 to Meet in Person and Recruit New Members to the Committee

The AGC Legislative Committee will hold a member reception on Sept 9 from 4-6pm at West 29th Restaurant (outside patio) to allow committee members to meet in person (regular meetings are held by zoom). The committee is also welcoming new members to the committee - so if you have ever had an interest in joining the committee - this is a great time to engage before the 2026 state legislative session and 2026 state election seasons begin! There is no cost to attend the reception. To attend email or call Nicole at the AGC office at nicole@agccolorado.org or 303-388-2422.