DENVER - Hundreds of thousands of Coloradans who have criminal records could catch a break on their job applications.

House Bill 1305 would prohibit most employers in the state from asking about criminal history on initial application forms. According to attorney Jack Regenbogen with the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, too many qualified workers end up unemployed and on public assistance because of bad decisions made in the past.

"We're talking about people that simply cannot get their foot in the door," he said. "The hope is by simply removing this barrier from the initial job application, that everyone will be in a better position to compete for jobs based on their merits."

Last year, a similar bill met resistance by some who felt the law imposed unnecessary regulations on private industry and had concerns about discrimination liability. In the new proposal, Regenbogen said, businesses still can ask about criminal histories after the first application, as well as conduct background checks, and deny jobs to anyone with a prior record.

More than 1.5 million Coloradans have criminal histories, according to state records, and 60,000 children have parents who have been incarcerated. Regenbogen said the legislation gives these applicants the opportunity to explain their circumstances. He added that removing barriers to reentry into the workforce also would be good for the local economy.

"This will result in not only more direct tax revenue being accrued to the state," he said, "but it would also reduce the burden on some of our public-assistance programs."

The state already is prohibited from asking about a person's criminal history on initial job applications. This bill would broaden that to include private businesses with four or more employees. Nine other states have adopted similar laws. HB 1305 is expected to be heard as early as this week.

The bill's text is online at leg.colorado.gov.


get more stories like this via email

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A new group aims to bridge racial and geographic divides between Missouri workers, to help bring economic prosperity to everyone.

The newly launched Missouri Workers Center has said it's pushing back against stereotypes and myths that can divide workers who share common interests.

The group was joined at its first event by Heather McGhee, author of "The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together." She said there is, in her words, "a lie" that prosperity for some has to come at the expense of others. McGhee said it's being used to pit groups against each other - so, fighting for fair working conditions and combating racism go hand in hand.

"Forty percent of American workers are paid too little to meet their basic needs for things like housing and food," she said. "One percent of the population owns more wealth than the entire middle class."

Missouri's minimum wage is $10.30 an hour, after voters in 2018 approved a ballot initiative increasing the minimum wage to $12 an hour by 2023. It previously was $7.85. The Missouri Workers Center has said it will advocate for such policies as paid leave and better working conditions.

Terrence Wise, a leader with the Missouri Workers Center who works at a McDonald's location in Kansas City, said prior to his introduction to organizing for a better wage, his workplace was segregated by the misperceptions that if Black workers are thriving, white workers are losing - or if immigrant workers are thriving, U.S.-born workers must be missing out.

"Not realizing that the time that we didn't sign each other's paychecks, we didn't write policy and legislation that dictate how our everyday lives were," he said. "All that was above us - the corporations, the elected leaders."

Wise added that it was important to realize that workers have to come together to demand change. In his own career, he said it's made the difference of earning $16 an hour instead of less than $8. Wise said campaigns such as "Fight for 15 and a Union" are making similar progress across the nation.

MINNEAPOLIS - Nearly 18 months after the murder of George Floyd, efforts for police accountability and best practices continue to take shape in Minnesota. They range from this week's ballot question in Minneapolis to actions by law enforcement elsewhere.

Although Minneapolis voters soundly rejected a measure that would have replaced the police department with a Department of Public Safety that emphasizes a public-health approach, Pastor JaNaé Bates, communications director for "Yes 4 Minneapolis," the group behind the charter amendment, said the debate has propelled important discussions about how policing should look in the future. She said she feels the scope needs to be much bigger, "to really tap into the fact that policing is just one part of a public safety system, and that people across the country actually deserve to have their needs met."

Bates said some still wrongly assume a public-safety department would result in no law enforcement. Other reform advocates in Minneapolis have said they worry that recent violence will get worse if the police department goes through big changes.

In Rochester and Burnsville, police have said they're listening more to marginalized communities, and training for better responses in calls involving mental distress.

Despite what people might assume, said Burnsville Police Capt. Matt Smith, there are some in law enforcement who also want substantive changes. He pointed to his department creating a Behavioral Health Unit this past year, with part of the goal to avoid conflicts with officers.

"We've always known that we're not the best-trained mental-health providers, and a lot of times, we would respond to the same person over and over and we'd hit roadblocks," he said. "And to bring in professionals who, that's what they're trained in, to work alongside us, just seemed like a natural fit."

As for building trust with BIPOC residents, he said, they're enhancing outreach, including more meet-ups in public settings, such as city parks, where residents feel comfortable talking with officers.

Rochester Police Training Lt. Paul Gronholz said his department has emphasized Crisis Intervention Training for more than a decade. He added that they're focusing more on hiring officers of color in hopes of establishing trust.

"Without the authority from the community," he said, "police - we can't do our jobs."

HELENA, MT -- A legal services program in Montana has been selected as one of the most innovative justice programs in the country.

The Rural Justice Collaborative Advisory Council chose the Rural Incubator Project for Lawyers, part of the Montana Legal Services Association, as part of its inaugural class of innovation sites.

Meghan Scott, former coordinator of the project for two years in Montana, explained the program's objective.

"Montana Legal Services established the Rural Incubator Project for Lawyers to help address the justice gap that prevents low- and moderate-income Montanans from achieving justice, particularly in the underserved and rural communities," Scott recounted.

The program began in 2018. Many rural communities lack affordable legal aid or the resources to receive it. Scott said fellows in the two-year program have the capacity to help this population. A lack of reliable internet is among the common obstacles for rural residents.

Tara Kunkel, executive director of Rulo Strategies, which partnered with the National Center for State Courts to oversee the Rural Justice Collaborative initiative, said access to justice is an important aspect of the Rural Incubator Project for Lawyers, and one of the reasons why it was selected. Kunkel said projects were chosen that offer replicable solutions.

"The big focus of the Rural Justice Collaborative is being able for rural communities to learn from other rural communities and solve problems that are unique to rural justice systems," Kunkel remarked.

The Rural Incubator Project for Lawyers was one of nine rural innovation sites chosen from around the country. Others include the Rural Attorney Recruitment Program in nearby South Dakota. Kunkel added there will be future rounds to select more programs.