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Colorado: Sue Schafer

February 10, 2009 - 02:12 am
NEWS FEED: Rocky Mountain News

Parental leave bill advances

By Lynn Bartels

House members gave final approval Monday to a controversial bill that would require businesses to offer parents unpaid leave time to attend their children's educational activities.

House Bill 1057 passed on a 35-30 vote, with Democratic Reps. Kathleen Curry of Gunnison, Joe Rice of Littleton and Sue Schafer of Wheat Ridge, joining all 27 Republicans in opposing it.

Sponsoring Rep. Andy Kerr, D-Lakewood, said the requirement to allow leave is vital especially to low-income parents working jobs that do not offer such benefits.

Republicans, however, called the measure intrusive and said leave is an issue that can be worked out between each business and employee rather than put into a uniform policy that must be followed by everyone.

Read More at Rocky Mountain News >
There have been 19 comments posted in response to this story.

February 4, 2009 - 02:12 am
NEWS FEED: Rocky Mountain News

House votes to make 9/11 optional holiday

By Ed Sealover

The House voted 52-12 for a bill that would make Sept. 11 an optional holiday.

Rep. Ed Casso, D-Thornton, ran the bill after realizing the overwhelming emotions that people feel about the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001. The measure would allow state employees to take off Sept. 11 if they work on one of the other state holidays that falls during the week.

Seven Democrats - Debbie Benefield, Claire Levy, Beth McCann, Jack Pommer, Joe Rice, Jim Riesberg and Sue Schafer - and five Republicans - Laura Bradford, Larry Liston, Ellen Roberts, Ken Summers and Spencer Swalm - voted against the bill.

Read More at Rocky Mountain News >
There have been 24 comments posted in response to this story.

February 4, 2009 - 02:12 am
NEWS FEED: Rocky Mountain News

Bills push major insurance reforms

By Ed Sealover

Legislative Democrats who pushed through what were considered major insurance reforms last year have come back this year with a number of bills that could turn the industry on its head.

Efforts have been introduced in the past week to:

* Return to the no-fault auto insurance system.

* Require health insurers to cover a slew of new preventive- care services.

* Stop insurance companies from charging women higher rates.

A number of other related bills are expected to come in the near future as well.

Families will pay much higher insurance rates if all of the measures pass, insurance industry leaders warned - this, during a time of recession.

Read More at Rocky Mountain News >
There have been 25 comments posted in response to this story.