House Bill 16-1002, sponsored by Rep. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, and Sen. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, would have forced private employers to give their employees leave for purposes of attending their children’s academic activities.
The bill was seemingly drafted under a presumption that Colorado employers are bad-faithed actors who would not permit employees to attend their daughters’ fifth-grade graduation ceremonies upon request. The bill’s sponsors paid no mind to the negative economic impact such needless government oversight would have had on Colorado job creation, let alone job retention. And, as usual, small businesses would have been the hardest hit.
Nor is this the first time liberals in the legislature have tried to force through such a measure. Just last year, nearly identical legislation passed the Democrat-controlled House before being swatted away by fiscal conservatives in the Senate.
Kelly Maher, executive director of Compass Colorado, released the following statement in response to the Senate’s actions today:
“This measure serves a perfect microcosm of the debate on the role of government. Rep. Buckner and Sen. Kerr, along with their liberal allies, believe that the government should involve itself in nearly every aspect of Coloradans’ lives. Thank heavens that our pragmatic senators see things differently and sent this needless nonsense to the garbage bin.”
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