Golden Transcript 0402

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April 2, 2015 VOLU M E 1 49 | I S S UE 1 7 | 5 0 ¢

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Minimum wage proposals pass committee

A

Legislation gives authority to local government

House committee passed two minimum wage bills last week. House Bill 1300, proposed to reinstate local government’s authority to increase minimum wages. House Concurrent Resolution 1001 proposed to increase the minimum wage, by voter approval. The increase would be a little more than a $1.00 every year starting in 2017 and end at $12.50 by 2020. Comments from fast food workers

House Bill 1300

What you need to know:

Prior to 1999, local governments in Colorado had the authority to set minimum wage laws in their jurisdictions. In 2006, voters approved Amendment 42 to raise the minimum wage to $6.85. The state minimum wage is now $8.23, driven upward by inflation. Advocates cite numerous studies on both sides of the argument over the impact of higher minimum wages. These arguments center on various economic theories. Some groups argue that increasing the minimum wage will hurt jobs and kill small businesses, while supporters argue that better wages will help build the economy and help citizens out of poverty. Studies surrounding local control and higher wages often use San Francisco, New Jersey, the California city of San Jose and New Mexico as points of interest.

Vote: 6-5 Heard by House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Sponsored by Rep. Dominick Moreno, DCommerce City, and Rep. Jovan Melton, D-Aurora “In Colorado, cost of living differs wildly between our state,” Moreno said. “There are places that are much more expensive to live than others … I think it’s a universal value that people who work in an area should be able to afford to live there as well.”

House concurrent resolution 1001

Vote 6-5 Sponsored by Rep. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City and Rep. Jovan Melton, D-Aurora

Views from local representatives Views from opposition

“Unquestionably, all minimum wage laws interfere with right of contract between an individual and an employer — it takes the choice away,” said Patrick Boyle, lobbyist for the Colorado Competitive Council, an affiliate of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

“The most local area these decision can be made is between the employer and the employee,” said Rep. Patrick Neville, RFranktown. “I think it’s fair that people who work hard get paid for what they do,” said Rep. Max Tyler, D-Lakewood.

“It’s honestly hard to really live out on your own with just $8.23 an hour,” said Andrew Olson, a Sonic employee. Olson testified that after working 38 hours for two weeks his check came to $68, after taxes and other deductions.

Views from opposition

“We know the impact that an increase on this would have on both employees and businesses in Colorado -- it will cost jobs and close businesses,” said Sonia Riggs, president and CEO of the Colorado Restaurant Association and on behalf of the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association.

Views from supporters

POSTAL ADDRESS

HOW THEY VOTED Rep. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock - No Rep. Jack Tate, R-Centennial - No Rep. Max Tyler, D-Lakewood - Yes Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton - Yes

“I think this bill is about two issues, one is justice and one is democracy,” said Dianne Thiel of Denver. “The state can set the floor of a minimum wage but it needs to be up to the local communities to do right by the people living in their community.”

Reno Yakavetta was one of a few protesters that are members of 15 Now Colorado, an advocacy group for higher minimum wages, who protested at the State Capitol on March 23. Photo by Amy Woodward

Views from supporters

“Although raising the minimum wage would benefit both men and women, it would disproportionately impact women,” said Michelle Webster, manager of policy and budget analysis at the Colorado Center on Law & Policy. Webster reported that women account for 47 percent of the labor force in Colorado, yet nearly 52 percent of the female workforce would see a rise in income by increasing the minimum wage. “We need an economy that works for everyone in Colorado, and very simply, raising the minimum wage makes good on the promise of work as a pathway out of poverty and spurs economic growth.”

Easter bunnies prepare for city’s egg hunt GOLDEN TRANSCRIPT (ISSN 0746-6382)

OFFICE: 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401 PHONE: 303-566-4100 A legal newspaper of general circulation in Jefferson County, Colorado, the Golden Transcript is published weekly on Thursday by Mile High Newspapers, 722 Washington Ave, Unit 210, Golden, CO 80401. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT GOLDEN, COLORADO and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to: 722 Washington Ave., Unit 210 Golden, CO 80401 DEADLINES: Display: Fri. 11 a.m. Legal: Fri. 11 a.m. | Classified: Mon. 5 p.m. G ET SOCI AL WITH US

P LE A S E R ECYC L E T H I S C O PY

Kiwanis Club drives holiday tradition By Amy Woodward

awoodward@colorado communitymedia.com The children’s Easter Egg Hunt in Parfet Park is one of the shortest events held in Golden. Each year, hundreds of kids aged 0 to 12 assemble on the grassy park and scramble to collect as many Easter eggs as possible. “The event starts at 10 a.m. and ends at 10:02,” said Paul Jones, Kiwanis club member. For more than 30 years, the Kiwanis Club of Golden has organized the egg hunt. Prior to 2005, when the Kiwanis Club introduced plastic eggs, members dyed hardboiled eggs to hand out to children. “That was the traditional Easter Hunt in Golden for many, many years,” said Tom Gould, treasurer for the Kiwanis Club. Since the days of real eggs, Kiwanis has partnered with the Golden Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants Association

FUN FACTS FOR GOLDEN EASTER 10,000 pieces of candy 8,500 plastic Easter eggs 6 ½ hours to fill Easter Eggs 16 pizzas to feed Kiwanis club members and volunteers Only a select few of eggs will have a coupon redeemable for a free stuffed animal at Clear Creek Jewelers to help support the egg hunt. “It’s a perfect partnership,” said Dawn Smith, president and CEO of the Golden Chamber of Commerce. “It’s such a great tradition.” Although Kiwanis switched from hard-boiled to plastic eggs, the method used to prepare the eggs is just as tedious as it always has been, but members are happy to do it. “I like to have a lot of fun stuffing the eggs,” said Mike Clark, Kiwanis member. “You have a whole lot of people, lots of different generations all getting together, all having fun playing with plastic eggs and putting candy in it.” In the weeks leading up to the hunt, which takes place on Saturday, April 4, at 10 a.m., Kiwanis

Kiwanis President Rick Baldessari and member Debbie Hammond assemble plastic Easter eggs for the upcoming egg hunt on Saturday, April 4, in Parfet Park. The Kiwanis Club has organized the city’s annual tradition for more than 30 years and now works with the Golden Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants Association, who help support the event. Photo by Amy Woodward members meet with members from the Golden High School Key Club and the Colorado School of Mines Circle K. Together, they assemble the plastic eggs and fill them with candy at the Kiwanis Club headquarters off of Washington Ave., and 15th Street.

For Alyssa Brown, Kiwanis’ youngest member, she enjoys watching the children’s excitement as they ready for the egg hunt — and listening to their plans on how they can get the most eggs. “It’s hilarious,” Brown said. “Some of them have some pretty good strategies, I’ll give them that.”


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