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January 31, 2013
Westminster Window 5
Proposed bills to protect Colorado employees By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com State Sen. Jessie Ulibarri, D-Commerce City, is sponsoring a bill that would prohibit a Colorado employer from using someone’s consumer credit information as a factor in hiring, “if the information is unrelated to the job.” “A lot of people have fallen on hard economic times,” he said. “But that should be punishment enough. That doesn’t mean they’re more prone to engage in unethical work practices.” Ulibarri’s bill states that employers using credit history to make a hiring decision “has increased dramatically” over the years. And those practices create “chronic barriers” for people applying for work after suffering recent job losses because they are more likely to have lower credit scores. The bill would require employers to notify applicants whenever their credit information resulted in an “adverse” hiring determination. And it would allow applicants to bring
suit against employers who violate the law’s provisions. Ulibarri’s bill makes an exception for employers in fields where one’s credit history is “s u b s t a n t i a l l y Report j o b - re l a t e d ,” such as those in the financial sector. But the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce opposes Ulibarri’s bill “because it significantly restricts the ability of employers to gather critical information about potential employees before making hiring decisions,” said spokeswoman Kate Horle in an emailed statement. “Consumer reports, such as credit reports gathered as part of background checks, are an important piece of information for prospective employers, especially when the position includes access to confidential or proprietary information,” the statement reads.
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Horle also notes that current Colorado law already restricts how employers use applicants’ credit information.
‘Intimate’ information
The Chamber also opposes a separate bill that would prohibit an employer from requiring an employee or job applicant to provide user names or passwords to their personal email, social media, or any other type of “electronic communications” accounts. The bill would prohibit employers to in any way discipline current employees, or refuse to hire applicants, just because they did not provide their user name or password information. The bill makes an exception for employers to seek information on employee’s personal accounts if a worker is under investigation for work-related wrongdoing, such as downloading proprietary information. And it would not apply to work accounts, such as work emails. Rep. Angela Williams, D-Denver, is the lead sponsor of the bill, with Ulibarri lending support in the senate. Ulibarri said that
the information on someone’s personal social networking or email accounts should be private. He said it would be wrong for employers to learn that one of their workers is pregnant, gay, or other personal details about their lives, and then use that information against the employee or applicant. “Those kinds of things have no bearing on a person’s ability to do a job,” Ulibarri said. “It’s intimate and personal and it’s meant to be so. But Horle said that the bill would “provide a private right of action against employers.” She also said the bill doesn’t address gray areas, such as a business providing a subsidy to a worker who uses his or her personal cell phone for job-related purposes. “The bill is not drafted as tightly as we’d like to see,” she said. But Ulibarri said personal details of someone’s life is an area that needs to be protected. “There’s a level of privacy we’ve lost but we need to recover,” Ulibarri said.
Money set aside for elder abuse bill Grant boosts funds for Jessica’s park By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com A bill that targets elder abuse has something behind it this time around that has kept it from becoming a law before – money. The bill, which was introduced in the Report state Senate Friday, would make it mandatory for individuals in certain professional fields to report suspected instances of elder abuse. Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Westminster, a bill sponsor, said she believed the proposed legislation would help protect seniors from being abused “physically, mentally, sexually and financially.” “It really is an issue important to everyone,” Hudak said. “We have a growing number of elderly people as baby boomers are reaching a certain age.” Professionals in the fields of medicine, law enforcement, social work, finance and others would be deemed “mandatory reporters” of cases where they have “reasonable cause to believe” that a senior citizen who is 70 or older is being abused, the bill states. Failure to report cases of abuse could result in misdemeanor charges. At the same time, those who knowingly make a false report of abuse could also be charged. The bill does protect reporters of abuse from criminal charges and civil liability “if the report was filed in good faith.” Hudak said the bill is long overdue.
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She added that Colorado is one of only three states where there exists no requirement for the reporting of suspected cases of elder abuse. And, Hudak recalled that the bill was “very popular” when it was introduced during last year’s senate session, before lawmakers decided to set up a legislative task force for further study. So what’s been the problem? “It costs a lot of money,” Hudak said. Republican Attorney General John Suthers, who is a supporter of the bill, agreed money was one of the “biggest obstacles” the bill faced. “There’s a funded infrastructure in place for child abuse, but none for social services in elder abuse,” Suthers said in a recent interview. But that doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore. Gov. John Hickenlooper dedicated $5 million in his budget request that would go toward resources having to do with the legislation. With the money set aside for the bill, Suthers said there’s “a good chance of it passing.” Still, Suthers said there could be opposition from those representing financial institutions, who may feel that the law poses an “undue burden” on bankers. Suthers doesn’t think that banks would be burdened by the law. Using a hypothetical example, Suthers said that it is not too much to ask of a bank teller to “file a brief report” when that person sees a grandson being “verbally abusive” toward his grandmother while she’s taking large sums of money out of her account. Suthers said he suspects that many Democrats and Republicans will end up supporting the bill. “I hope it does generate public support,” he said.
Weapons: Perlmutter confronts challenges in gun law changes Weapons continued from Page 4
“Our loved ones were gunned down and an entire generation of our families taken away in a matter of seconds,” the letter read in part. “We listened to the 911 tapes played in court and sat in agony as we heard 30 shots fired within 27 seconds, wondering if one of those bullets killed our children.” Under the proposed bill, Perlmutter said gun owners who now own an assault weapon will be allowed to keep it but will be subject to a background check, if they choose to sell or transfer it to another person. Perlmutter said the bill is particularly important because it would close loopholes left in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, which barred the future manufacturing of 19 specific semiautomatic firearms and banned the possession of magazines holding more than ten ammunition rounds. Perlmutter said the battle to pass the bill through Congress will not be an easy one.
‘Our loved ones were
Staff report Westminster Legacy Foundation received a $50,000 grant from Colorado Garden Show Inc. to help build a park to memorialize Jessica Ridgeway, the 10-year-old Westminster girl who was killed in October 2012. With the Colorado Garden Show donation, the total raised to date is $353,000 through monetary donations and in-kind contributions. The fundraising goal for the Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park is $450,000. “We’re delighted to have this major donation from the Colorado Garden Show, and it moves us much closer to our final goal,” said Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally. “It’s fitting that their organization, which gives horticulture-focused grants to so many organizations, will help us build Jessica’s park.” In addition to the donation, CGS is providing booth space at the 54th Colorado Garden & Home Show, Feb. 9-17, at the Colorado Convention Center. At booth 1513, Westminster Legacy Foundation representatives will lead fundraising efforts for the Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park. Donations will be accepted throughout
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gunned down and an entire generation of our families taken away in a matter of seconds.’ Relatives of Aurora theater shooting victims “It’s going to be a very difficult bill to pass,” Perlmutter said. “I don’t want anybody to have any illusions about that. There is a lot of work to be done, but I am supportive of that and will work on behalf of those families from Aurora and Newtown.”
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the show to help close the final funding gap. “This grant certainly aligns with our mission to fund horticulture-related projects, but beyond that, the park will be an incredible place for Jessica’s friends and the community to play and remember the incredible girl she was,” said Jim Fricke, executive director of the Colorado Garden Show. “It was a unanimous decision by our board to award it, and we were happy to support the Westminster Legacy Foundation in their fundraising goals to create this special remembrance of Jessica.” The Jessica Ridgeway Memorial Park will be an enduring tribute to the memory of a girl whose joyful spirit touched so many. In keeping with the family’s wishes, the park will be a place for positive reflection and memories. Construction of the park will begin in the spring of 2013 with the park dedication taking place later this year. Complete details on the park, including proposed designs, are on the Westminster Legacy Foundation website, www.westminsterlegacyfoundation.org. The Westminster Legacy Foundation was established in 2001 to support and enhance programs and projects that benefit the Westminster community and its citizens.