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This is Proposal 002-15: Supporting the 2015 Minimum Wage Movement. Please read the proposal, and confine any comments to the proposal only. Designate your wishes by using "AGREE", “BLOCK”, or "STAND ASIDE". Any blocks will require a vote of the Council. Per Section 4.3 of the GPCO Bylaws, "to endorse or oppose a ballot initiative or referendum, or to take a stance on a public issue, shall require consensus or a vote of at least 60% of the membership present at a state meeting and/or the Council."There are currently eight (8) active voting chapters in the Green Party of Colorado. A of 60% quorum requires at least one response from five (5) chapters. Active Chapters: Adams/JeffersonArapahoe CountyDenverDouglasGreater BoulderPikes PeakSan MiguelSouthwest The floor is now open for one week of Agreement Seeking (ending April 3, 2015). Thank you,Bill Bartlett, Interim Council Facilitator1. Basic InfoDate proposed: March 27, 2015Name of the sponsor(s): Bill Bartlett2. Title: Supporting the 2015 Minimum Wage Movement3. Text of the actual Proposal: This proposal will be an official acknowledgement of support to the 2015 Minimum Wage movement. 4. Background: There are two bills in the Colorado State Legislature. Passing this proposal would officially acknowledge the GPCO’s support of this legislation. From the Colorado Statesman: "House Concurrent Resolution 15-1001 seeks to raise Colorado’s current minimum wage of $8.23 per hour to $9.50 per hour, starting Jan. 1, 2017. House Bill 15-1300 would allow local governments to enact their own minimum wage laws, repealing a statute from 1999 that banned local governments from setting their own minimum wage laws."5. Justification/Goals: Officially supporting legislation like this shows where our party stands on important issues. Our support could also help shift some attention to this cause. 6. Pros and Cons: Pros: Publicity, moving the party forward in a positive direction in support of an important movement. Cons: Standing silent, we risk losing an opportunity to stand for something we all believe in. 7. Alternatives to the proposal: Taking no action.8. Supporting statements including references to other sources of readily accessible materials to aid in the members’ decision making process. http://www.coloradostatesman.com/content/995526-wage-battle-begins
I would propose holding off on this for now. Sean Friend (the Arapahoe Co-chair) and I are steering committee members of 15 Now Colorado, and we will be putting a citizen's initiative on the 2016 ballot to raise to $15, not $12.25 over 4 years like the legislative action would propose.It would be more strategic for us to endorse the ballot initiative, not just an amorphous idea without roots that doesn't exist in real organization yet. The only real proposal right now is the $12.25 over 4 years.Has Sean been added to this forum? He's a co-chair.
I do not agree with proposal 002-15 in its current form. I would like this proposal be modified to endorse only HB15-1300.An additional PRO for this proposal is the reduction in poverty and suffering that will follow passage of HB15-1300 and action by local jurisdictions.I do not support HCR15-1001 because $12.50 will not be even close to a living wage in 2020. In 2014 in Adams County both parents in a four person family needed to work full-time for $15.66 per hour to be self-sufficient.I do support Green Party action on HB15-1300 for a number of reasons:1. HB15-1300 is a result of my campaign for governor in 2014. I first called for this bill in my one debate with Hickenlooper and Beauprez at the Arvada Chamber of Commerce.2. The Colorado Retail Council (Wal-Mart, Target, JC Penney, Safeway, and Kroger/King Soopers/City Market) are against HB15-1300 (that's a good enough reason by itself:).3. Colorado is one of only 15 states that outlaws local minimum wages. Cities like San Jose, Seattle, and San Francisco are experiencing new, broad-based economic vitality following their minimum wage increases. 4. US Congress and CO Legislature are not going to raise the minimum wage. For the CO legislature to raise the state minimum wage would take a 2/3 vote by the House and Senate, which won't happen until Republicans control less than 33% of the votes. The only hope for now is to let our cities raise wages (which takes only simple majority of both chambers).5. When I testify on HB15-1300 at the upcoming Senate committee hearing I would love to be able to say the Colorado Green Party supports Local Minimum Wages.6. The Senate hearing room (probably the Senate State, Veteran and Military Affairs Committee) needs to packed with Greens and others who put people before profits to testify for this bill. Support from the Green Party will increase the turnout. Testimony from the public at legislative committee hearings can be impactful. Last year mass testimony against HCR14-1002 that would have doubled the number of petition signatures required for a CO citizens ballot initiative caused the committee to kill the bill. On March 25, 2015 our testimony in the House committee hearing against HB15-1057, another bill to suppress citizens' power of initiative, caused the committee to delay its vote - we will see how that bill comes out.7. The Greater Boulder chapter called for Local Minimum Wages on Dec. 11, 2014. This is their resolution: RESOLUTION FOR LOCAL CONTROL OF MINIMUM WAGES IN COLORADOWHEREAS the state of Colorado prohibited local units of government from establishing a minimum wage by passing SB99-014, thus forcing all municipalities and counties in Colorado to accept the state's minimum wage regardless of the local cost of living,And whereas real median income in Colorado has fallen annually since the turn of the century and the downward trend has accelerated since the bank and mortgage crises of 2008,And whereas the cost of living varies greatly across Colorado, making it impossible for the state to set a standard minimum wage that meets the needs of workers throughout the state,And whereas the state minimum wage, currently $8.00 per hour, provides full-time workers with poverty-level compensation in many parts of the state,And whereas a living wage reduces employee turnover, absenteeism and disciplinary problems,And whereas a living wage improves employee morale, productivity, and customer service, And whereas the supply side economic theory that raising pay necessarily causes job loss has been disproved over and over again by rigorous research over the past fifteen years (see The Job Loss Myth, for a summary of recent research),And whereas poverty-level wages place a burden on state and local government revenues for public assistance programs,And whereas cities in other states, including California, Illinois, Maryland, New Mexico and Washington, have raised their minimum wages,BE IT RESOLVED that the Colorado General Assembly end statewide control of the minimum wage by repealing SB99-014, thus enabling towns, cities and counties in Colorado to establish local minimum wages commensurate with the local cost of living.Adopted December 11, 2014Kevin Alumbaugh and Susan Hall, Chapter Co-chairs
I would support a narrow scope in this proposal, that we endorse the concept of local control over minimum wage.
I accept the amendment to include only support for House Bill 15-1300! ~~ I agree with this proposal in its amended format!
Great job, Kevin and Susan! I agree with this bill proposal on the table that Harry has presented and agree to this support of HB15-1300. I do wonder if the resolution that Kevin and Susan wrote has been put into play since Dec, does that mean it is already in the works? Do we still need this proposal?
Michelle, The Greater Boulder Green Party passed the resolution for local control of the minimum wage on Dec. 11, 2014. It was in the papers. See http://blogs.denverpost.com/thespot/2014/12/16/green-party-backs-bill-allow-locals-set-minimum-wages/115789/ and http://www.pinerivertimes.com/article/20141225/NEWS01/141229873/0/NEWS01/Bill-may-lead-to-higher-wages#sthash.0WUws6tX.dpuf in which I am quoted as saying: “There are a lot of people in poverty, working people in poverty,” said Harry Hempy, a Boulder County resident and Green Party gubernatorial candidate who has been working on the legislation. “Obviously, living in poverty isn’t good for people. It costs taxpayer money to supplement their income.” I think the intent of this proposal is for the state Green Party to endorse the same position - in favor of local control of the minimum wage in Colorado.
Agree with local ability to raise the minimum wage. Oppose $12.25 in 2020 as a living wage. I would support $15 in 2015 as a living wage proposal IF it is indexed to real inflation.Michael HaugheyAJ Greens
So, the minimum wage at $12.50 bill died today. Didn't even clear the first committee: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_27821119/colorado-minimum-wage-vote-bill-dies-lack-twoIt looks like the municipal wage setting bill is going to get some traction.I would like to reiterate my initial proposal to put this on hold until we now what's going to happen. Those of us involved with 15 Now Colorado are going to for sure run a citizen's initiative, and I would request your official endorsement then.
Thanks Andrea for keeping us up to date. I think that rather than support a particular bill we should support the $15 movement and the local government movement indicating our call for candidates who support the same. Of course we support the bill for local control (grass roots democracy)! And thus the colorado green party can testify and support and endorse that bill.
It looks like there is consensus on supporting HB15-1300. (Right?)HB15-1300 passed the house and has been assigned to the State, Veteran, and Military Affairs committee in the senate. The date for public testimony has not been set yet.I would write an article for the website for HB15-1300 if council would like. I am working (personally) with the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, the Colorado Fiscal Institute, and labor unions to hold a press conference/rally immediately preceding the senate hearing. The Green Party of Colorado could/should sign up as a co-sponsor of the rally. I suggest GPCO write to the bill's sponsors, Moreno, Melton and Merrifield, indicating GPCO's enthusiasm for local minimum wages and offering testimony in favor of the bill. Assuming the website article is well-written and reflects well on the Green Party, it can also be sent as a press release/advisory a couple days before the rally.(I don't know if co-sponsoring a rally requires another proposal in this forum or if our consensus to support HB15-1300 is adequate. ???)
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