Coalition of Labor, Business, and Financial Leaders Applauds Senate Committee for Rejecting Colorado Bill That Would Have Primarily Benefited Corporate Giants

Posted by Alyse Knudsen on April 30, 2025

Diverse stakeholders express relief as HB25-1282 fails to advance, protecting Colorado jobs, consumers, and community financial institutions 

DENVER, CO, April 28, 2025 – An unprecedented coalition of labor unions, airlines, business advocates, and financial institutions expressed gratitude to members of the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee for their thoughtful consideration and ultimate rejection of House Bill 25-1282, legislation that would have primarily benefited large corporate retailers at the expense of Colorado’s communities, workers, and financial institutions. 

The bill, which would have prohibited payment card networks from charging interchange fees on sales tax and gratuity portions of transactions, failed to advance after committee members previously heard compelling testimony about its potential negative impacts. 

Local Colorado credit unions warned of the bill’s uneven impact before its defeat, “When national and out-of-state banks would have been granted relief from this law, 90% of card transactions in Colorado would not have been subject to the law,” Said Ben Metzger, in-house counsel and vice president of strategy for Canvas Credit Union, a Colorado company who would be targeted by this legislation. “The only transactions subject to the bill would have come from cards issued by Colorado-chartered banks and credit unions. We would have been left with a law that was 10% effective, and yet the law’s cost would have been 100% carried by local financial institutions.” 

Scott Sager, the Chief Financial Officer for Colorado Credit Union in Littleton added, “Out-of-state mega-retailers were pushing this legislation, which would have had harmful consequences for Coloradans, making it more difficult to conduct transactions.”  

“While this legislation appeared to try to help small businesses, we believe it would have harmed aviation jobs in Colorado while simultaneously padding the pockets of some of the biggest anti-union corporations in the country. Our airline employers depend on revenue from these credit card rewards programs. By harming these programs, it would knock our employers off solid financial footing at the very moment we’re negotiating for better contracts. We’re grateful the committee rejected this measure today and thank them for their support of Colorado’s working families.” said Ritchie Johnsen, Vice President of Aviation for the International Association of Machinists. 

Chase Ilsley, Vice President of Association of Flight Attendants Council 71, expressed similar appreciation after voicing his concerns. “House Bill 25-1282 was misleadingly titled the “Swipe Fee Fairness Act,” would have hurt workers and consumers. While this legislation was presented as a measure to support small businesses, in reality, it was being pushed by notoriously anti-union mega corporations at the expense of consumer protections, small businesses, and good union jobs. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy—all with well-documented histories of union-busting—were among the primary proponents of this legislation. We thank the committee for standing with workers and not with huge, anti-union mega corporations.” 

Coalition members expressed their commitment to working with legislators on constructive solutions that genuinely benefit Colorado’s small businesses and consumers instead of this misguided, if well-intentioned, measure. 

About the Coalition 

This unprecedented coalition represents thousands of Colorado workers, financial institutions serving communities across the state, and organizations that collectively contribute billions to Colorado’s economy. 

Posted in GoWest News, In The News, Press Releases.