DENVER — A bill passed by Colorado lawmakers trying to curb wage theft within the construction industry has been vetoed by Gov. Jared Polis.
The bill, HB24-1008, sought to expand general contractor accountability and liability for wage claims involving subcontractors, specifically holding general contractors in the construction industry liable for wages legally owed to an employee of any of its subcontractors. State Reps. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, and Meg Froelich, D-Greenwood Village, and Sens. Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, and Chris Kolker, D-Centennial, sponsored the bill.
Polis, agreeing with industry and business advocacy group that had urged his veto, said the legislation went too far holding general contractors accountable for the actions of others.
“General contractors should of course seek to use subcontractors with a history of following the law and paying all of their employees,” Polis wrote in his veto letter. “But crafting a unique and novel joint liability mechanism for wage claims in this sector only – including in situations where the general contractor has no relationship with the responsible employer – would not punish the real wrongdoers.”
> Read the full story at the Denver Business Journal.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Latest from 9NEWS
9NEWS+
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.
