February 10, 2012 10:32 PM UTC

Wouldn't You Like To See An Actual Jobs Bill?

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• by: Colorado Pols

As debuted in the opening-day speech by Colorado Senate President Brandon Shaffer, Assembly Democrats start next Tuesday on the “centerpiece” of their jobs agenda for this year’s session, Senate Bill 1–the “Hire Colorado First” Act. This is the newest version of a bill that has been introduced before by Democrats, but through a combination of some changes and (hopefully) improved public awareness of the underlying issues, they hope to fare better.

Senate Bill 12-001 would allow an up to 3% preference to bids for state contracts by companies, either in or out of state, that can simply demonstrate they are employing at least 90% Colorado resident workers on the project. If they’re employing workers with decent pay and benefits, they can get an additional 2%, for a total of up to a 5% incentive to employ Coloradans on Colorado taxpayer-funded projects. There’s a companion House bill, HB12-1113 sponsored by Rep. Pete Lee, that adds a preference category for veterans.

Last year, Republicans screamed bloody murder about this kind of preference-establishing legislation “tying the hand” of the state from getting the best deal for its dollar, but the context of those objections is changing: some 26 states, including our neighboring states of New Mexico and Wyoming, now have these kinds of in-state workforce preference statutes in place. Among other things, that means Colorado companies are at a disadvantage trying to bid for jobs in those states, and don’t even enjoy the same preference at home! And there’s no preference for unions or anything like that for Republicans to cry foul with. It’s just about hiring local workers.

Because of this, Democrats are hoping that the legislation will have a better chance of passing in the GOP-dominated House–or at least extract more damage at the polls if it doesn’t. It seems to us, anyway, that contrasting a bill like this, which would actually create jobs in Colorado, with the GOP’s so-far agenda of repealing “Obamacare,” throwing poor people off health coverage, and making the world safe to pack heat will be fairly effective in a glossy mailer.