Lawmakers on Wednesday killed one bill aimed at giving employees of state contractors higher pay and postponed another that allows law enforcement officers to unionize.
House Bill 1208 would have required state contractors to pay higher, union-level wages. It died on a 7-4 vote in its first committee.
Bill sponsor Rep. John Soper, D-Thornton, said it was a crucial step toward strengthening working-class families in a time of economic strife.
But even some of his Democratic colleagues shied away from the legislation, noting that it would raise the cost of construction projects for an already cash- strapped state.
Senate Bill 180, which would allow police and firefighters collective-bargaining rights, was put on hold and will be voted on today.
Jessica Fender, The Denver Post
