Business leaders testify in support of the Colorado Clean Slate Act

Denver, April 26 – Business leaders from across the state testified today in the House Judiciary Committee in support of the Colorado Clean Slate Act (SB22-099), which will help provide access to employment, education, and housing for thousands of Coloradans. The bill automatically seals certain criminal records if a person remains crime free, and is being hailed by business leaders as critical to rebuilding Colorado’s workforce and driving its recovery post-pandemic.

“We believe business has a role to play in helping more people share in the benefits of economic growth. But to achieve systemic change, we need better public policy,” explained Nan Gibson, Executive Director for Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at the JP Morgan Chase PolicyCenter. “As we continue to recover from the pandemic, businesses are adapting to new economic conditions and the search for skilled workers has intensified. By reducing barriers to employment for justice-involved individuals, we will be able to get more people back to work more quickly.”

One in five Coloradans have an old criminal or arrest record. By supporting automatic record sealing, local companies seek to help reinvigorate the state’s slowing economic recovery, decrease tax burdens, make their communities safer, and help the 1.3 million impacted Coloradans provide for themselves and their families.

“The individuals concerned are already entitled to this relief – Clean Slate simply gives it to them,” KOBEYO Founder and CEO Bryant Dulin highlighted. “As it stands, cost and complication are unnecessarily holding people back – but we can rectify this injustice by automating the process. Using technology solutions is something the government should practice just as aggressively as the private sector.”

The economic impact of the bill is dramatic; a Brennan Center report found that the average person with a conviction misses out on roughly $100,000 in earnings over the course of a career.  By advancing the Clean Slate Act, Colorado looks to follow five other states who have passed similar Clean Slate legislation – and already reaped the rewards. When people in Michigan had their records sealed, their wages increased by an average of 22% within one year.   

In his testimony, Marcus Weaver, Owner of The People’s Pickles, shared his own experience with the justice system and how his business has implemented second-chance hiring practices. “Many of the people I work with on a daily basis have non-violent offenses. I have seen firsthand the struggles in obtaining employment and housing due to a past record,” said Weaver. “I see the impact this bill would make on the folks I employ at my business, and I am aware of the impact it would make for me. This bill is imperative for hardworking Coloradans who want to move forward with their lives.”

In February, Gibson, Dulin, and Weaver joined more than 30 Colorado companies and business associations in a joint statement in support of Clean Slate. Support for the bill comes from all sectors – from construction materials supplier Basic Industries to cannabis companies like Terrapin Care Station to economic associations like the Vail Valley Partnership. 

The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee. It now moves to House Appropriations for consideration.