The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance (NCLA) is pleased to unveil the Report to Northern Colorado Businesses on the 2013 Session of the Colorado General Assembly. While our communities in Northern Colorado recover from the devastating floods, we take a moment to reflect back upon and report to you, our investors, on the work of the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance (NCLA) during the 2013 legislative session. We think you’ll be pleased to know that while you were running your business, the NCLA had your back with state government and represented you well.

The NCLA is a partnership of the Fort Collins, Greeley and Loveland Chambers of Commerce with the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) and Upstate Colorado Economic Development. The NCLA is the leading voice influencing state policy on issues affecting the unique business interests of northern Colorado.

Business Vitality First has been the mantra of the NCLA since the downturn in the state and national economy as vital and healthy Colorado business creates jobs and new revenue for education and other priorities of state government. While 2013 presented unique challenges resulting from a less than favorable political climate for business, our continued message of Business Vitality First resulted in defeating many legislative proposals that would have unnecessarily burdened business.

Download the PDF version of the report to see an issue-by-issue account of the 2013 Colorado Legislative Session as it intersected with the NCLA’s priority agenda and general business concerns. This publication was made possible thanks to the generosity of Bank of Colorado.

As we look towards the 2014 legislative session, we shift our focus to our region’s healing and economic recoveryfrom such a devastating regional disaster, business vitality takes on new meaning. The economic impact of this devastation is remarkable and will take equally remarkable dedication, financial resources and time to recover. As each of us take care of our own communities, this regional disaster also demands regional cooperation and action to assure the necessary resources are available and swiftly deployed. Never before has our work as a regional organization been more important. NCLA will be a convener and advocate between our elected and community leaders and our region’s business leaders assure our the economic recovery efforts of our region and the corresponding financial needs are met.

Plan to attend the 2013 Regional Issues Summit presented by NCLA. The event is scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, December 4th at Embassy Suites. The Regional Issues Summit is a forum that will bring attention to some of the larger issues facing Northern Colorado including Higher Education, Water Storage and an update on Disaster Recovery. The half-day program will feature expert presentations, panel conversations and participant reactions. Business, civic, education and government leaders are invited to attend to help identify possible solutions to the area challenges. More information including registration will be available soon!