Legislative Democrats will introduce a retooled paid-family-leave bill later this week that requires businesses to pay half the cost of a proposed mandatory statewide program and to reinstate anyone taking as many as 16 weeks of leave to the same position when they return to work. Business leaders have engaged in several months of discussion over details of the bill, whose previous iterations have failed four times in the past five years, typically at the hands of Republicans who controlled the Senate up until this year. Many business organizations expressed frustration this week, however, at what they viewed as sponsors' unwillingness to consider their concerns about the costs of the program to small companies in particular, the broad eligibility for the program and the role of the state government - rather than individual employers - in reviewing and approving requests for leave under the potential new law. 

A Colorado Senate committee approved a bill Tuesday that would tighten oil and gas regulations, prioritize health and safety over business development, and give local governments control of industry permits. 

Twenty years ago, then ColoradoBiz Editor David Lewis commissioned a monthly column from me called "Cool Colorado Stuff," thumbnails of four products made by Colorado-based companies. In that time, I've written nearly 200 installments highlighting 800 Colorado-made products. In 2012, the concept expanded into a full-blown cover story detailing even more products from Colorado companies. In the "Made in Colorado" issues to date, we've taken several different approaches, spotlighting companies, products and people. The common thread? Manufacturing in Colorado. 

Mike Fitzgerald is stepping down as president and CEO of the Denver South Economic Development Partnership, retiring after nine years of leading the organization that has brought significant corporate growth and international companies to an area that once was viewed as an outpost of the downtown Denver business scene. 

For the second year in a row, a collaboration among Lincoln businesses, schools and nonprofit organizations has launched the Future Builders Challenge. The challenge kicked off with an inspiration rally on March 5 at The Career Academy, attended by community leaders, students and their families. 

More than 200 companies and associations representing farmers and ranchers, manufacturers, service providers, and technology companies announced the launch of the USMCA Coalition, which will advocate for congressional approval of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.