A broad range of business interests is rallying behind a bill that would give the tourism industry one of its biggest funding boosts ever.
Groups including the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry – a statewide business-advocacy group that represents companies such as Coors, Qwest and First Data – and the Colorado Gaming Association are backing House Bill 1201, which would increase the tourism budget from $5 million to an estimated $20 million.
The bill would use 50 percent of the gaming taxes that are distributed to the general fund annually for tourism promotion. In fiscal 2005, the general fund received roughly $40 million from the gaming fund.
Co-sponsored by Rep. Tom Plant, D-Nederland, and Rep. Al White, R-Winter Park, HB 1201 passed the House Finance Committee this month by a vote of 11-2. It is now awaiting consideration by the House Appropriations Committee, which Plant chairs.
“I think people finally understand that funding tourism doesn’t cost the state money; it makes the state money,” White said. “We really have some momentum going.”
The tourism industry has long coveted a steady stream of public funding, and White’s bill may give the industry its best chance in years.
In November, the passage of Referendum C eased the state’s strict spending limits and opened the door for another push to increase the amount of tourism-promotion dollars.
Last month, during his State of the State speech, Gov. Bill Owens said he wanted to boost the tourism budget from $5 million to $15 million.
“I’m more optimistic than I have been in the past,” said Ilene Kamsler, head of the Colorado Hotel & Lodging Association. “It has bipartisan support, and it has the support of the Joint Budget Committee. It just seems like everything is in the right place for it to finally happen.”
Opponents of the bill said the state should search for new revenue sources to fund tourism.
“Instead of fighting for limited general-fund dollars, those who support tourism should look at creative ways to bring new revenue into the state to fund tourism,” said Rep. Michael Garcia, D-Aurora. “We have such a bare-bones budget.”
Some examples Garcia offered to boost revenue include raising the $5 bet limit on casino games and increasing the hours of operations for casinos.
Garcia added that spending money on tourism promotion is a good use of public dollars.
Pete Meersman, chairman of the board of the Colorado Tourism Office, said he is excited that the industry could receive a permanent funding source for the first time since 1992.
“It’s difficult to have a cohesive, ongoing marketing plan for Colorado when you don’t know from year to year what your budget is going to be,” said Meersman, president of the Colorado Restaurant Association.
Colorado’s casinos in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek also support the bill, said Lois Rice, a spokeswoman for the gaming association, which represents about two dozen of the state’s 46 mountain casinos.
The casinos have asked that a percentage of the funds get earmarked to specifically market the three gaming towns, but the bill’s sponsors haven’t responded, Rice said.
A bipartisan group of Colorado legislators plans to rally today at 11:30 a.m on the west steps of the state Capitol building in support of HB 1201.
Staff writer Andy Vuong can be reached at 303-820-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Julie Dunn can be reached at 303-820-1592 or jdunn@denverpost.com.
House Bill 1201
Key point: Would divert
50 percent of proceeds
from the state’s gaming
taxes from the general
fund to be used to promote
travel and tourism
in Colorado
Additional funding:
Could total $20 million
annually
Status: Passed the
House Finance Committee
this month; awaiting
reading by the House Appropriations
Committee
