2018 legislative session

Bell President Reflects on 2018 Legislative Session

While we and our many partners advocated for practical proposals to help struggling Coloradans, a slew of great ideas met their end in the Senate’s State Affairs committee in the 2018 legislative session.

colorado legislative session

2018 Legislative Session Report Card

This year's legislative session was a critical one for Colorado. There seemed to be real momentum to find solutions to alleviate rising costs, stagnant wages, and answer tricky questions about our state's new economy. So how well did the 2018 Colorado General Assembly do?

colorado's middle class squeeze

Colorado’s Middle Class Squeeze is Real

Colorado's middle class is in trouble. That's according to CU Denver Professors Geoff Propheter and Todd Ely, who revealed their preliminary findings from a state-specific study focusing on the middle class squeeze.

colorado wages

New Data Shows Colorado Wages Struggle to Keep Pace with Inflation 

On the surface, Colorado wages may seem rosy, but a closer look at the numbers shows there’s a lot more work to do. 

the bell, future of work

The Future of Work: Colorado Legislators Must See the Forest for the Trees

As one of the Colorado legislature’s first forays into the implications of the contingency economy and future of work, SB-171 should not be treated lightly.

colorado legislature

The Bell Calls on Colorado Legislature to Invest in Child Care, Early Childhood Education

Money spent on children under age 4 have an enormous return on investment, including less reliance on social services later in life and an economic boost by allowing parents the time and ability to work.

Consumer Financial Protection Initiative, predatory economy

Mayor Hancock Launches Consumer Financial Protection Initiative to Fight Predatory Economy

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced the Denver Office of Financial Empowerment will launch the city's first Consumer Financial Protection Initiative to protect Coloradans from the predatory economy.

stop digging, public investments

Stop Digging: Colorado Needs Strong Public Investments

We need serious proposals that will ensure economic growth for every Coloradan, not bumper-sticker bills designed to make out-of-state funders happy. Our message to legislators is ‘put down the shovel.’

Promotional graphic for a panel discussion titled 'beyond the boom: telling the story of economic mobility in colorado'.

Highlights From Beyond the Boom: Telling the Story of Economic Mobility in Colorado

Although headlines continually boast Colorado's preeminent position as a top state economy, our Guide to Economic Mobility shows there is more to the story. To explore this further, we hosted a panel discussion with local journalists to go beyond the boom.

Child-like drawing of a family holding hands under the sun.

2018 Legislative Watch List: Colorado Two-Generation Policies

As we seek to make economic mobility for every Coloradan a reality, two-generation policies will be crucial to that mission. Here, we identify the bills being considered during the 2018 legislative session that focus on both children and parents.