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State transportation project shutters 22-year-old Grand Junction auto sales business via eminent domain
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Approved, Local, The Business Times

State transportation project shutters 22-year-old Grand Junction auto sales business via eminent domain

By Brandon Leuallen | The Business Times For 22 years, GJ Auto Sales was a fixture in the Grand Junction community, a family-run business operated by Amber Colunga Martinez and Mike Martinez. But now, the lot at 320 S. First St. will be transformed into a state-led mobility hub, part of Colorado’s climate-focused transportation plan. Selling the property to the state of Colorado, the City of Grand Junction and Mesa County due to impending eminent domain has left the couple without enough to financially open up again in a viable location. The Martinezes said they first learned of the Colorado Department of Transportation’s plans not through official communication, but by reading a story in The Daily Sentinel. “We found out about it through the Sentinel posting an article about i...
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Restaurants win relief as Colorado bill leaves wage hikes to local control
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Approved, Axios, State

Restaurants win relief as Colorado bill leaves wage hikes to local control

By John Frank | Axios Denver The nasty fight at the Colorado Capitol over how much to pay tipped restaurant workers ended in a standoff this week. The big picture: Gov. Jared Polis signed the Restaurant Relief Act into Colorado law on Tuesday, with backing from the Colorado Restaurant Association and other major industry organizations. Why it matters: The result is a victory for the opposition, which mounted an aggressive campaign against the legislation, though it gives cash-pinched restaurant owners another chance to make their case at the local level. Threat level: The state's restaurant industry faces a crisis, with as many as 200 closing statewide last year — a majority of which operated in Denver — partially prompting the legislative proposal...
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Walmart launches ‘Grow with US’ to support small, American-based businesses
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Approved, National, The Post Millennial

Walmart launches ‘Grow with US’ to support small, American-based businesses

By Thomas Stevenson | The Post Millennial Walmart announced on Monday that the company would be launching a "Grow with US" program aimed at helping small businesses in the US grow by selling American-made products. A statement released by Walmart on the program said that it is aiming to "help small businesses go big" with American-made products. The retail giant, which has been growing its ecommerce platform as a of late, said that the move is "building on the legacy Sam Walton established over 40 years ago" and looking to expand "support for American-made products through new programs like Grow with US — providing small businesses with new tools and paths for success." Walmart said that the program will be "making it easier for US-based entrepreneurs to navigate the complex...
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Treta: Denver’s broken permitting system is driving up housing costs—and it’s time to fix it
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Commentary, Local, Rocky Mountain Voice, Top Stories

Treta: Denver’s broken permitting system is driving up housing costs—and it’s time to fix it

By Robert Treta | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice I’ve been designing and building homes in Denver for 28 years. I pulled my first permit in 1997—for a small room addition on a house. It took one day. One. That kind of efficiency used to be the norm. Permitting was straightforward, business-friendly, and a basic example of how local government should work. But over the past two decades, I’ve watched the city’s permit approval process become increasingly bloated, inefficient, and damaging—not just to builders like me, but to every Denverite who rents or buys a home. This problem isn’t new. Denver’s permit delays became a real issue as far back as 2007, when the wait time for a standard permit grew to four months. Now, in 2024, the average wait time is 385 days. That’s more t...
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Colo. Sheriffs call SB25-003 a ‘nightmare’ for rights, businesses and public safety
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Approved, State, The Truth About Guns

Colo. Sheriffs call SB25-003 a ‘nightmare’ for rights, businesses and public safety

By Mark Chesnut | The Truth About Guns Following Gov. Jared Polis’ signing of the sweeping gun ban measure last week, some Colorado sheriffs, who have opposed the bill all along, are still speaking out against the action. The measure bans the sale of the most popular selling rifle in America—the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR)—unless Coloradans obtain from their county sheriff approval, based on subjective criteria, a permit-to-purchase semi-automatic firearms capable of accepting detachable magazines. Under the law, the sale of semi-automatic firearms capable of accepting a detachable magazine will be banned unless those purchasing the firearms are vetted by a local sheriff and complete a firearm certification course. Sheriff approval to apply for a permit-to-purchase is based on sub...
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Niwot residents urge Boulder County to pause minimum wage ordinance harming small businesses
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Approved, Left Hand Valley Courier, Local

Niwot residents urge Boulder County to pause minimum wage ordinance harming small businesses

By Peggy B. Graham | Left Hand Valley Courier During the Boulder County Commissioners' public comment session on April 3, several Niwot residents addressed the commissioners with significant concerns about the detrimental effects of the current minimum wage ordinance on Niwot's small businesses. Ordinance 2023-4, which took effect on January 1, 2024, established the minimum wage for unincorporated Boulder County at $16.57 per hour this year, $1.76 higher than the neighboring incorporated towns and cities, except Boulder, which is still lower than the county ordinance. The ordinance mandates annual increases, reaching $25 per hour by 2030, and then further adjusting in accordance with the Consumer Price Index. Notably, most larger municipalities within...
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Conservative economists pour cold water on Harris’ new small-business tax proposal
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Approved, Fox News, National

Conservative economists pour cold water on Harris’ new small-business tax proposal

By Alec Schemmel  | Fox News Conservative economists are pouring cold water on Vice President Kamala Harris' new proposal aimed at reducing startup costs for new small businesses as part of her "Opportunity Economy" economic platform. Harris unveiled new small-business tax proposals last week aimed at reducing the cost burden related to starting a new business. Among the proposals was a substantial increase in the standard tax deduction for small-business startup costs, from $5,000 to $50,000. "It’s essentially a tax cut for starting a small business," the vice president said during a stump speech announcing the new proposal. "We're going to help more small businesses and innovators get off the ground." READ MORE AT FOX NEWS
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