Gov. Jared Polis came to Grand Junction on Friday to sign the final bills that emerged from this year’s session of the Colorado Legislature, including two designed to help businesses recruit workers.
One of those measures, introduced by three Western Slope legislators, continues a grant program that aims to connect Colorado businesses with people for in-demand, high-skill, high-paying occupations.
Under that measure, House Bill 1365, $3.8 million would be transferred to the state’s Regional Talent Development Initiative Grant Program, commonly known as Opportunity Now grants, to fund the third phase of the program , which addresses labor shortages in the infrastructure and construction sectors.
That bill also creates another grant program, the Regional Talent Summit Grant, to provide money to regional groups working to attract new workers to professions that have difficulty finding qualified people.
Additionally, the measure creates a new income tax credit for tax years 2026 through 2032 for new equipment used in training programs designed to address worker shortages in certain industries.
“This is a bill that will help Colorado tremendously because the emphasis here is also on critical infrastructure,” said Rep. Matt Soper, R-Delta, who introduced the bill along with Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs and the senators. Perry Will, R-New Castle, and Jeff Bridges, D-Greenwood Village.
“Making sure that the jobs of the future and the skills that are aligned there are also in the high-demand industries that we really need,” he added. “Things like construction, road construction, water projects. “They all require a different set of skills that we don’t necessarily have the employees for today.”
Polis also signed another Soper bill requiring state, local and private entities that conduct licensing exams to provide certain accommodations for someone with a disability without requiring them to undergo diagnostic or psychological evaluations.
That measure, which was also sponsored by Sens. Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco, and Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction, allows an individual to file a civil lawsuit or complaint with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office if the evaluator fails to comply. It also waives government immunity for public entities that also fail to comply.
“No one should have to think about that today,” Polis said just before signing the bill at the Mesa County Job Center. “Of course, we must accommodate all Coloradans who are qualified and able to sit for service, whether it be the bar exam or another professional licensing exam. “We want to make sure people’s disabilities don’t stop them from realizing their potential.”
Earlier in the day, the governor also signed a number of other measures in the city, including a bill sponsored in part by Rep. Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction.
That measure, Senate Bill 16, expands taxpayer donations for an income tax credit made to intermediaries who contribute that money to accredited charities.
The governor also stopped by Colorado Mesa University and the Eagle County Government Complex on his way back to the Front Range to promote geothermal energy.
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