Immigration Reform Bill Update

Upon receiving  an exclusive briefing on the draft immigration reform bill from Senator Bennet’s staff, we authored a Guest Opinion that appeared in the Daily Camera on May 26. Immigration is a key economic issue for Colorado and Senator Bennet is one of the “gang of eight” senators who drafted the legislation. Our high-tech and agricultural sectors are particularly impacted by our broken immigration system, and have been involved in creating real, viable solutions. A press release on the Senator’s website states,

“To help strengthen our economy this bill increases the number of H-1B visas for high skilled jobs.  It also includes a new INVEST visa, which Bennet included in the bill.  Immigrant entrepreneurs who seek to start new businesses and create jobs in the United States would qualify for this new visa.  Specifically, it would create a new, three-year visa for individuals who are able to meet certain revenue, job creation and initial investment requirements.”

For more information, contact Monisha M. Merchant | 303-455-7600 | Senior Advisor for Business Affairs | U.S. Senator Michael F. Bennet

Links:

Full press release

summary of the bill

read the bill

video of Senator Bennet’s remarks

Federal Marketplace Fairness Act

2013 has been a turnaround year for The Marketplace Fairness Act, an idea championed by brick-and-mortar sellers for more than a decade.  In a rare bipartisan approach, the amendment to the 2013 budget was passed out of the Senate, and will likely next be introduced as a separate bill.  Proponents of the measure include a majority of governors and over 300 business, labor, and state and local government organizations, who say that the Act would enhance states’ rights regarding sales and use tax collection authority and in the process level the playing field for all merchants. Opponents of The Marketplace Fairness Act, which include Facebook, Amazon and other members of NetChoice, believe that the existing state sales tax, requiring  applicable  tax on all purchases, online or offline is sufficient, and that Congress should not give states new tax powers unless it also requires radical simplification of the present sales tax situation.

Online-only sellers with less than $1 million in remote sales annually would be exempt, estimated to be nearly 99 percent of such sellers. Participating states would be required to provide businesses with software for tax collection calculated by ZIP code. While the federal budget bill remains in contention, the changes will not go into effect.

The local version of the Marketplace Fairness Act was signed by the Governor as House Bill 13-1295.  The bill would permit those local taxing jurisdictions governed by a home rule or charter to opt in by passing a local ordinance or resolution.  Colorado would then be authorized by the Federal Government to require remote sellers to collect sales tax on taxable sales made within the State, in conformance with the provisions of the Act. Gov. Hickenlooper noted that he signed HB1295 to protect Colorado retailers.

Local Impacts of Federal Sequestration

Senator Michael Bennet expressed concern that the Federal Sequestration violates the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, and may delay the opening of US Patent and Trademark satellite offices, including the Denver office scheduled to open in 2014. Senator Bennet's June 4, 2013 press release noted that, "In the case of the Patent Office, the sequester does not apply. It is funded by the fees it collects, and not tax dollars." 

The Boulder Valley School District reports a total sequestration impact of $502,000 on their 2013-2014 annual operating budget.  Progammatic cuts as of July 1, 2013, due to the 5% reduction in federal funds were listed as:

Title I     Reduced Allocation to 8 schools         1.5 FTE     $125,000
Title II    District-level Literacy Coach                 .5 FTE     $ 37,000
Title III   District-level TOSA                           0.7 FTE     $  65,000
SPED      (IDEA) Reduced teacher allocation       3.0 FTE    $275,000

City of Boulder Transportation Master Plan Update

The City of Boulder has begun a year-long, integrated community planning process to update the 2013 Transportation Master Plan (TMP). An open house is scheduled to present the latest update in the TMP process, Complete Streets Bicycle Innovations Open House onThursday, May 9 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Alfalfa’s Community Room, 1651 Broadway.  At their April 23rd Study Session, Council discussed funding mechanisms to maintain or expand the city’s existing transportation system, in the form or a Transportation Maintenance Fee or Tax (TMF), potentially on the November 2013 ballot. The draft report on a TMF and Council Study Session materials are available here.  

Civic Area Master Plan Update

Council members expressed general support for staff recommendations at the June 11 Civic Area Master Plan presentation.  Next steps include an Open House to be held on July 11 in advance of a Study Session on July 30. Plans are expected to finalized fall 2013. View the Civic Area presentation here, or visit www.bouldercivicarea.com for more information. 

Civic Pad next to St. Julien

While ideas regarding potential uses of the Civic Pad site adjacent to the St. Julien Hotel have been thick on the ground, financing and the partnership opportunities for getting that project off the ground have not been as plentiful. Since 1995 when the space was initially set aside for a complex site plan for a building as large as 37,000 square-feet with 20 percent of developed floor space dedicated to a civic benefit, three separate task forces have grappled with the issue.  An added wrinkle is a non-compete clause with the hotel regarding food service.

To move forward in advance of the deadline, Task Force IV has issued an RFI calling for submissions from "qualified, experienced developers or development teams." They are suggesting a “layer cake” approach, wherein each level of the building could house three uses.  For a copy of the RFI, contact Ellen Cunningham at the City of Boulder via email.