CNGA LooseLeaf February March 2019

18 colorad o nga.org LooseLeaf February/March 2019 After the 2018 elections in Colorado, the state as a whole has taken a political shift to the left. While in some cases that may not be a total negative, in the case of Colorado businesses, especially energy-related businesses, there is reason for concern. The Democrats have captured the Governor’s office and both branches of the General Assembly. They are now in control of Colorado government, and called upon to lead and manage the state for Colorado citizens. In the 2019 session, members of Colorado’s business community have several policy issues to pay attention to: • Regulation and oversight of the gas and oil industry will be a major topic for this General Assembly and Governor Polis. Our previous governor believed Colorado had struck an effective balance in regulation, but this may not be the case going forward. New vehicle emission standards are being developed for Colorado and may produce new opportunities or pitfalls for CNGA members. Impacts on CNGA members could be felt in several aspects of our daily business. • Employer-employee relationships and mandates will be a major topic of discussion in the next session. FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act), workers compensation, wage protection, and employee status and rights will all be possible bills considered in this next session. Impacts to all businesses could be significant but especially to small employers. • A policy shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy could have both short-term and long-term impacts on the propane industry in Colorado. A mandated shift away from fossil fuels will hurt all energy providers, and cost consumers more. • Legislation of business practices is a mixed bag this upcoming session. Sales tax simplification efforts will continue, which will be a Godsend for business both in cost and efficiency. New regulations by the new administration will need to be acted on with urgency and sound data, as some of these regulations could cost business and make daily operations more difficult. New fees, utilized to avoid TABOR, will be a discussion item this next session especially given several of the new governor’s policy goals. There will be challenges this next session. But, CNGA, similar to other business groups, must look for and work effectively to create windows of opportunity for our industry where we can. That kind of effort takes continuing commitment by the members of CNGA and our allied partners. CNGA members statewide can get involved and influence government policy by: • Creating and maintaining relationships with their elected House and Senate members. Personal communications from residents in their districts can influence lawmakers, especially when we can provide local examples of how pending legislation will impact communities. • Impacting local opinion and creating local support for our issues through editorial comments, op-ed pieces and stories of interest for local papers, where possible. • Building coalitions with business partners, other business groups and reaching beyond normal contacts to find new champions for our industry. • Offering sound compromises, where possible, to assist our industry in being operationally and financially successful. • Supporting CNGA’s efforts through GreenCO, in acting effectively to influence proposed legislation that will affect our industry. With good timing and data, our collaborative participation in policy discussions with legislators is invaluable. GREENCO UPDATE 2019 Legislative Session Outlook By Jay Hicks Hicks & Associates Having an effective statewide association is one of the best safeguards against bad legislation and negative policy decisions. This next session, we must truly utilize CNGA for all its potential, commitment and creative solutions to navigate the 2019 legislative session.