“We commended the governor for tackling the issue of regulatory reform early in his first term. Some progress has been made, but NFIB/Colorado believes we can do better.
“On behalf of over 7,000 NFIB members in Colorado, we ask the governor to support a mandatory cost-benefit analysis of every new rule or legislative action that is going to affect small-business owners.
“We also hope the governor agrees to support efforts to lessen the threat of fines on first offenses when a small business inadvertently violates a minor rule not affecting the health, safety or welfare of the public. The governor can move Colorado agencies away from a philosophy of enforcement to a model of compliance assistance.
“Additionally, Colorado has the most complicated and time-consuming sales tax process of any state in the nation. Any action the governor can take to change this would be applauded. Businesses are forced to spend two or three days per month filling out sales tax reports for every taxing district in which a business does business in the state. It is time Colorado established a Central Point of Collection and uniform definitions among taxing districts on what should be taxed and what is not.
“Last, but not least, is health care. The Colorado Insurance Exchange has not delivered on its promise made to the business owners in the state. Business groups across the state supported a Colorado-specific health exchange. Since its inception, however, the Exchange has failed to reduce premiums small-business owners pay on behalf of their employees, choices of the types of plans have become fewer, and carriers continue to abandon the Exchange. So much for competition.
“NFIB believes it’s time for a top-to-bottom evaluation of the structure, philosophies, and financial accounting of the Exchange. NFIB continues to hold out hope the governor will accept our offer for an open, honest, and effective collaboration on efforts to maintain the economic confidence of small-business owners.”
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[Photo of 2016 speech courtesy of Gov. John Hickenlooper’s Flickr page]
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For more than 70 years, the National Federation of Independent Business has been the Voice of Small Business, taking the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America’s economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. NFIB’s educational mission is to remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses; they have very different challenges and priorities.
National Federation of Independent Business/Colorado
