The first regular session of the seventy-fourth Colorado General Assembly convened on Monday, January 9, 2023.  Husch Blackwell Strategies (HBS) will serve as ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter’s lobbyist firm. 
 
In its fall strategic planning sessions, the ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter Board of Directors with input from ABC members established leadership in political advocacy as a top goal for 2023 and beyond.  The ABC Search Committee selected HBS to represent ABC beginning January 1, 2023.  HBS has offices in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, Wisconsin, and a federal practice group in Washington DC. 
 
The HBS Colorado team is led by Micki Hackenberger, one of Colorado’s top lobbyists with an impressive record as president of the former Axiom Politics and a successful career as a policy analyst, lobbyist, consultant, and corporate executive.  Her team of lobbyists that will work on behalf of ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter include Erin Goff, Lisa LaBriola, Carrie Hackenberger and Elizabeth Lo.
 
The HBS Colorado team will help the ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter develop comprehensive strategies to successfully navigate the legislative process and achieve its public policy goals.   Among priorities are support for pro-construction, business friendly, and economic development initiatives to maximize potential for construction in Colorado.
 
For more information contact:  Ann Guiberson, President & CEO at 303-832-5812 or aguiberson@abcrmc.org

Associated Builders and Contractors’ Rocky Mountain Chapter announces its endorsement of Joe O’Dea for U.S. Senate. ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter represents 150 local contractors in the industrial and nonresidential construction sector throughout the state, and O’Dea is a local construction business owner.

“ABC Rocky Mountain is proud to endorse Joe O'Dea for U.S. Senate because Joe is a construction worker who understands our industry and he will fiercely protect free enterprise,” said Kelly Eustace, 2022 chair of the ABC Rocky Mountain Board of Directors and president of Heating & Plumbing Engineers, Colorado Springs, Colorado. “Joe knows the importance of championing policy that will create quality jobs and strengthen workforce development across the country. There’s a massive skilled workforce shortage of 650,000 this year alone, and electing leaders like Joe ensures our industry can build the people who are building the places where we live, work, play, heal and learn.”

“I was a union carpenter and I saw quickly how the leadership prioritized politics over their workers,” said Joe O’Dea, candidate for U.S. Senate and owner of Concrete Express, Denver. “That’s a big reason why my company was founded as a merit shop, a belief that construction projects should be awarded on merit to the most qualified and responsible low bidders. I’ve fought off the unions plenty of times because they’d ultimately hurt the bottom line of my workers. I pay my employees more than a union shop, with better benefits. Colorado has found some balance, and in the U.S. Senate, I’ll be a strong, consistent voice for employees to determine their own future. I’d oppose the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, rein in the National Labor Relations Board for exceeding their rulemaking authority. We cannot govern through executive fiat; Congress must weigh in.”

ABC’s Rocky Mountain Chapter is the leading voice promoting fair and open competition in the construction industry in Colorado. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, which encourages an open competition approach that awards contracts based solely on merit, regardless of labor affiliation, ABC helps members develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter at 303-832-5812 or email: aguiberson@abcrmc.org.

The 2022 Colorado General Election is here. Ballots went out on Monday, October 17th. Across the state, Coloradans will make their voices heard by voting on a number of candidates and issues including for Governor, a U.S. Senate seat and all eight of the state’s House of Representative seats on November 8th. There are also nearly a dozen statewide ballot measures to decide on covering everything from affordable housing to psychedelic mushrooms.

This election year will prove to be one of the most important elections for the General Assembly in recent years. It’s the first election since redistricting and the Republicans in the House are looking to close the huge gap only holding 24 seats of the 65.

In the Colorado Senate, the Republicans are looking to take back the majority, which was made a little more challenging in August with Senator Kevin Priola’s announcement switching his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat, making the majority 21-14. The Republicans now have to pick up 4 seats and not lose seats that they currently hold.

The ABC Rocky Mountain Chapter Board of Directors approved a list of Candidates to endorse in the upcoming Colorado General Assembly Elections. The Board also approved financial contributions to a targeted list of candidates that will be supportive of our organization and with the goal to flip the Colorado State Senate to a Republican Majority. Click below for the ABC RMC Voter Guide.