Colorado Chamber Office Hours

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, we take a closer look at legislation aimed at addressing the use of artificial intelligence and reducing potential adverse outcomes for consumers.The bill would establish disclosure requirements for AI systems that use personal data to make consequential decisions like loan eligibility, insurance pricing or purchasing a home. It would also give consumers the ability to request a human review or reconsideration if an AI decision causes an adverse outcome. Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, a sponsor of the bill, outlines the background behind the proposal and how stakeholders worked to compromise. Liz Peets, vice president of government and community affairs for Comcast, shares a business perspective on how the legislation could impact Colorado companies.Tune in to hear how Colorado is approaching the regulation of a rapidly evolving technology.

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, we sit down with personal injury attorney Kyle Bachus to break down legislation aimed at restricting nonlawyer involvement in the legal industry.Advanced by an unlikely partnership between the Colorado Chamber and the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, House Bill 1421 would prohibit nonlawyers from entering into financial arrangements that allow them to profit from legal services, including investments in law firms and certain fee-sharing agreements. Bachus discusses the intent behind the legislation and the potential implications of these changes for law firms and the state's legal landscape. Host Ed Sealover then outlines the broader implications of the legislation for Colorado businesses. Tune in for a conversation on legal ethics, industry structure and what this proposal could mean for the future of the legal industry in Colorado.

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, host Ed Sealover explores several bills aimed at increasing the affordability and availability of housing in the state, which currently faces a shortage of over 106,000 homes. Ted Leighty, CEO of the Colorado Association of Homebuilders, breaks down the reasons behind the state’s housing shortage and outlines how minimum lot sizes can affect a housing market. He then explains how the legislation will affect the market, help increase the density of Colorado’s housing supply and lower costs. Sen. Janice Rich (R-HD 55) offers a different perspective, sharing why she believes the decisions around land use and housing development should be up to local governments. Tune in for a discussion on the balance between state and local control and what the proposals could mean for Colorado's housing market.

Colorado Lawmakers are considering a series of bills that could bring significant changes to the state’s tax code and increase the tax burden on the business community by more than $500 million per year. Host Ed Sealover sits down with policy and tax experts to break down a package of four bills proposing numerous changes, including decoupling Colorado’s tax code from certain federal provisions, eliminating deductions commonly used for research and development and allowing downloadable software to be taxed as tangible property.Caroline Nutter, Policy Manager at the Colorado Fiscal Institute, outlines key provisions of the legislation and highlights the areas likely to affect the business community. Phil Horowitz, State and Local Tax Director at Baker Tilly, provides a business perspective on the issue and raises broader concerns about the policy implications of the bills. Tune in for a conversation on tax policy and what these proposals would mean for Colorado’s economic landscape. 

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, we are breaking down a proposal aimed at streamlining Colorado's workforce development system. House Bill 1317 would create a more unified approach to talent development and establish a transition plan to better align the state’s workforce programs with employer needs. Host Ed Sealover sits down with ​Colorado Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie, a sponsor of the bill, to discuss the goals and potential impact of the legislation. He is also joined by Shannon Nichols, SVP of Impact at Colorado Succeeds, to explore how the proposal would strengthen Colorado’s workforce and support economic growth. Tune in for a breakdown of what Colorado’s current system looks like, how it can be improved and what the bill could mean for the state’s future workforce. 

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, we break down a bill that would make significant changes to Colorado’s arbitration process and that could change key aspects of the state’s legal environment.House Bill 1236 would prohibit certain provisions in arbitration agreements, establish new requirements for who may serve as an arbitrator and set standards for employer payment of arbitration awards.Host Ed Sealover sits down with Rep. Yara Zokaie, a sponsor of the bill, who explains why she believes the legislation is necessary to strengthen protections for consumers and workers. He is also joined by Julian Ellis, an arbitration expert and partner at the law firm First and Fourteenth, who discusses concerns about how the proposal could affect the efficiency and effectiveness of arbitration and its role in resolving disputes.Tune in for a conversation on the role of arbitration, the potential impacts of the legislation and what these changes could mean for Colorado’s legal and business landscape.

Colorado lawmakers are considering legislation aimed at increasing transparency and consistency in the rule review process for state agencies. SB 137 would create more robust standards and criteria for how state agencies review their current regulations, including assessing which rules are outdated, duplicative, cost effective or overly burdensome. Host Ed Sealover is joined by Colorado Senate President James Coleman, a sponsor of the bill, who explains why the legislation is needed and highlights the importance of a balanced regulatory framework. Steve Swinney, co-founder and CEO of Kodiak Building Partners, shares how regulations have impacted his industry and why businesses support the proposal.Tune in for a conversation on good governance and the role of balanced regulations for businesses.

The Colorado legislature is considering two proposals that could raise taxes and fees on alcohol producers across the state.Sen. Judy Amabile (D - SD 18), a sponsor of both bills, explains the goals behind the policy and how she believes the additional funding could support addiction treatment and prevention efforts. Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewers Guild explains the impacts of increased cost on an industry employing 61,000 Coloradans.Tune in for a conversation on alcohol policy, industry impacts and the broader debate taking place at the Capitol.

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, host Ed Sealover dives into proposed legislation aimed at developing standard protocols for managing extreme heat and cold in the workplace.HB 1272 would require the state to track temperature related workplace injuries and develop model prevention plans outlining how employers should address extreme temperature conditions on the job. Representative Meg Froelich (D - HD 3), a sponsor of the bill, explains the workplace safety concerns she hopes to address and why she believes additional state guidance is needed. Michael Gifford, advocacy director for the Associated General Contractors of Colorado, discusses concerns from the construction industry, arguing that the proposal would duplicate existing safety training and protocols. Tune in for a conversation on worker safety, regulatory overlap and what the proposal could mean for Colorado businesses and workers. 

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, Ed Sealover sits down the Cole Wist, attorney and former state representative, and Rep. Elizabeth Velasco (D-57), to discuss legislation aimed at overhauling Colorado's worker protection system. HB 1054 would create a state-level enforcement process for violations of both federal OSHA and state workplace health and safety standards. However, the proposal stops short of creating a federally approved OSHA “State Plan,” raising questions about how the bill would function. Tune in as our guests explore legal considerations, the policy’s goals and potential implications of the legislation. 

In this episode of Colorado Chamber Office Hours, we dig into HB 1012, a bill aimed at expanding consumer pricing protections in Colorado. Supporters say it increases transparency and accountability, while opponents raise concerns about regulatory overreach and unintended consequences for Colorado businesses.We sit down with Rep. Yara Zokaie (D-52), a primary sponsor of the bill, and Rep. Anthony Hartsook (R-44), who opposes it, to walk through the goals of the proposal, the concerns raised by the business community, and what the legislation could mean for consumers and employers across the state.

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, host Ed Sealover sits down with Nicole Riehl, president and CEO of Executives Partnering to Invest in Children (EPIC), and Sen. Mark Baisley, to discuss the state’s role in child care. Riehl outlines the benefits of legislation aiming to expand the access and affordability of child care through strategies like deregulation and tax incentives. Sen. Baisley offers a different perspective, raising broader questions about whether or not government should be involved in child care in the first place. Tune in for a nuanced conversation on an issue affecting families and employers.

This week on Colorado Chamber Office Hours, host Ed Sealover dives into House Bill 1036, a contentious bill proposing a tax on Colorado homes left vacant for extended periods of time. We hear from Kevin Bommer, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League, who supports the bill and Brian Tanner, vice president of public policy at the Colorado Association of Realtors, who opposes it. Tune in for a discussion on affordable housing, the potential pros and cons of the bill and what the impact of HB 1036 would be for Colorado communities. 

In this episode of Colorado Chamber Office Hours, we break down House Bill 1005, which proposes changes to Colorado’s Labor Peace Act. HB 1005 would reshape collective bargaining rules and modify how union agreements are negotiated under state law.We talk with Rep. Javier Mabrey, a proponent of the bill, and Rep. Chris Richardson, who opposes it, for a full look at both sides of the debate and what this legislation could mean for employers, workers and Colorado’s business climate.Tune in for an in-depth look at one of the session’s most talked-about labor policy issues.

In a special bonus episode this week, host Ed Sealover sits down with Colorado Senate Minority Leader Cleave Simpson to discuss the Republican Party’s plans for the session. Sen. Simpson details the importance of a balance between energy costs and sustainability, differences between Colorado’s urban and rural districts and Colorado’s efforts to regulate artificial intelligence. 

We spoke with Colorado Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie to discuss her party’s approach to the legislative session and the issues most relevant to employers. Speaker McCluskie outlines plans to address affordability, manage the risks of artificial intelligence discrimination, and strike a balance between protecting Coloradans and growing the state’s economy. She also discusses strengthening Colorado’s talent pipeline, improving workforce development programs, and preserving revenue while working to close the state’s budget deficit. 

As Colorado’s legislative session heats up, we sit down with Meghan Dollar, the Colorado Chamber’s SVP of governmental affairs and political operations, to break down which legislative issues matter most to employers. Meghan covers key bills to watch out for this session involving Colorado’s regulatory climate, artificial intelligence, clean energy, the state's budget and more. 

The Colorado 2026 legislative session begins this week, and we sat down with Colorado House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell to talk about what it means to lead the minority party, and how his caucus plans to approach major business issues this session. Caldwell details how Republicans will try to bring down costs of living, how they’ll look to balance clean-energy goals with feasibility and why they believe there needs to be changes in the way the state’s transportation budget is spent.

With one week left until the state's legislative session is set to kick off, Senate President Coleman discusses what issues to anticipate that could impact the Colorado business community. The top Democrat in the state senate described his party’s plans for the coming session, how he plans to ease the growing regulatory burden on business, how the state is attempting to tackle the issue of artificial intelligence, and more. 

Episode 0 - Colorado Chamber Office Hours delves into the biggest issues impacting businesses in Colorado, particularly those in which business and government policy intersect. Host Ed Sealover, vice president of strategic initiatives for the Colorado Chamber of Commerce, interviews key figures ranging from legislative leaders to thought-provoking CEOs to cutting-edge entrepreneurs. And he also lays out the key events that business leaders will need to follow in the upcoming week to stay abreast of changes that will impact them.