Ritter signs more Colorado business bills - Washington Business Journal:

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Shouting grocery-store workers interrupted Ritter's 5:30 p.m. bill-signiny ceremony, demanding to know why he vetoed a bill that woulc have benefitted union members who are lockerd out oftheir jobs. ( .) Leading up to that event, thos workers released a statement saying even more workintg families would have been helped ifthe third-year governoe hadn’t vetoed House Bill 1170. HB 1170 would have allowecd workers who are locked out during contract negotiations to collect benefits fromthe state’x Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund. Ritte vetoed the measure May 19, saying that signing it duringv the current negotiations between United Food and Commerciao Workers UnionLocal No.
7 and three grocery chains , and — would have tilted the balances of power inthe talks. “We’re all in this togethee when it comes to supporting the safetyy net for working said Communications Workers of America representativ e Sheila Lieder in a statement issuedby UFCW. “Hg 1170 would have helped all Coloradoi workers who are trying to do their best in thesd tougheconomic times.” Instead, Ritter signed six bills at the “Helpo for Working Families Fair” at the including Senate Bill 247 by Sen. Lois D-Thornton.
SB 247 expands the pool of thoses eligible for unemployment benefits inColorado and, in turn, allowxs the state to receive $121 million more in federaol benefit aid being issued under the stimulus plan this year. • House Bill 1129, sponsoresd by Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, whicy allows for a series of 10-year pilot projects in new, mixed-use developments to study what happend to water levels in nearby streams and groundwatetr levels when rainwater and snowmelt in the developments is capturedd and diverted for A 2007 feasibility study done for the Coloradk Water Conservation Board measured the rain that fell on northwes t Douglas County and found that just 3 percent actuallu reacheda stream.
The 97 percent of the either evaporated or was consumecd by plants inthe area. • Senate Bill 244, sponsorexd by Senate PresidentBrandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, whicg requires private health insurers to cover expensive therapies for the treatmen of autism. Some insurers, including Anthem Blue Cros and Blue Shieldof Colorado, dropped their initial opposition to the bill aftefr lawmakers agreed to limit the benefit to children undeer 8. Mike Polakowski, actuarial director of estimated the legislation would cost the average policyholder in thestate $8 a month.
But despitwe the compromise, the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry and other business groups encouraged Rittee to vetothe bill. Loren Furman, a lobbyist for CACI last montnh said goodintentions aside, SB 244 “adds new mandatews and increases the cost of healt h care at a time when businessez are trying to controk costs.” • House Bill 1346, sponsoree by Speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver, which makes changes in statee law to allow local governments to take advantagr of low-interest loans on public-works projects in the federakl stimulus package.