HEADLINES

CACI Unveils List of 56 Endorsed Legislative Candidates

Join CACI August 31 to Meet Legislative Candidates in Critical Races

Dan Pilcher

CACI Senior Vice President

& Chief Operating Officer

E-Mail: dpilcher@COchamber.com

Phone: 303.866.9600

www.COchamber.com

Friday, August 13, 2010

CACI Unveils List of 56 Endorsed Legislative Candidates, Seeks “Business-Friendly” Colorado General Assembly

CACI today released a list of 56 legislative candidates that it is endorsing for election in November in a concentrated effort to ensure a “business-friendly” legislature next January.

The list includes 36 incumbents and 20 new candidates running for seats in the Colorado House of Representatives and the Colorado Senate.

“CACI has chosen to support legislative incumbents who voted with us on salient business issues,” said Chuck Berry, CACI President and former Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives, “These were issues that not only had a substantial financial impact on the business community, but they also affected job creation and economic development for Colorado.”

“Our endorsements and contributions are intended as a vote of confidence and an investment in those who support business,” said Loren Furman, CACI Vice President of Governmental Affairs.

“The 2010 session caused great distress to companies across the state, and some kind of balance of-power arrangement at the State Capitol is critical to protect the interests of businesses during the next two legislative sessions,” said Tom Flanagan, Chair of the CACI Board of Directors and Division I President of Citywide Banks.

“CACI has a bipartisan membership and is governed by a bi-partisan Board of Directors,” said Rob LeVine, CACI Board Chair-Elect and General Manager of the Antlers at Vail, “We support those who support us, regardless of their party affiliation, and this policy is reflected by our bi-partisan endorsements.”

Fifty-two new legislative candidates were interviewed in late June and early July by CACI after submitting their answers to a CACI questionnaire on business issues.  The interview was conducted by the CACI lobbying team and a large number of CACI members who had contributed to CACI’s political action committee.

From this pool of new candidates, the CACI staff recommended a slate of 20 candidates to the CACI Executive Committee, which then approved the list on August 2^nd.  In the following days, the CACI Board concurred on the list.  One incumbent was approved pending the outcome of Tuesday’s primary, while three new candidates were approved pending the outcome of their primary races.  The Board approved the list of the other incumbents for endorsement at its June 10^th meeting.

A CACI endorsement usually results in a contribution of $400 from The Colorado Business Political Action Committee (CB-PAC), which is CACI’s political action committee.  In addition, a small number of pro-business candidates in key races will receive an additional amount, to be determined, from CACI’s small-donor committee, The CACI Prosperity Fund.

Incumbent Endorsements

New Candidate Endorsements

Join CACI August 31^st for a Fundraising Reception to Meet Legislative Candidates Who Are Running in Critical Contests

CACI will hold a fundraising reception from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday, August 31^st, at the Westin Tabor Center to raise money for its small-donor committee to support a small number of pro-business legislative candidates in key races.

These races—about seven or so—will likely determine whether or not the 2011 and 2012 session of the Colorado General Assembly will be business friendly—or a replay of the fractious session earlier this year that was undoubtedly the most difficult for the business community in recent memory.

CACI members attending the reception will get to meet most of the candidates running in these critical races.  CACI will provide financial support for these candidates from both its political action committee and its small-donor committee.

The Event Sponsor of the reception is Intrado.

The CACI reception will be held in the Augusta Room at The Westin Tabor Center, which is the Host Sponsor.

To attend, CACI strongly encourages its members to contribute $50 in advance to CACI’s small-donor committee, The CACI Prosperity Fund, or bring a personal check for that amount made out to the Fund to the event.

NOTE: CACI members who contributed to the Colorado Business Political Action Committee (CB-PAC) can attend without contributing to CACI’s small-donor committee.

NOTE: For those who have contributed to The CACI Prosperity Fund--and who attend this event--there will be drawings for several door prizes, including two Southwest Airlines tickets and Outback Steakhouse gift certificates.  If you have already donated to The CACI Prosperity Fund, Tricia Smith, CACI Director of Events and Programs, will have a master list and will have you checked off.

To help support CACI’s small-donor committee, click on e Donate button below to access CACI’s PayPal account to allow you the convenience of making a secure, on-line contribution of $50.  We urge you to contribute now.

The 2010 general election will be held November 2^nd, and business-friendly candidates and legislators need your support now.

Under Colorado’s campaign finance laws, an individual can contribute $50 per calendar year to a small-donor committee. You, your co-workers, friends and family members who want to support CACI’s effort to elect pro-business candidates can each contribute $50.

Why is this important?  A small-donor committee can give up to $4,250 to a state legislative candidate.  A political action committee, such as CACI’s Colorado Business Political Action Committee, however, can only give $400 to each candidate.

The reason that a small-donor committee contribution is important is because organized labor advocated this provision in Amendment 27, the campaign-finance initiative approved by Colorado voters in 2002.  Common Cause was the main advocate of Amendment 27, which banned direct contributions by unions and businesses to candidates.

Rest assured that the unions--using the payroll-deduction mechanism for their members--are pouring tens of thousands of dollars into the key legislative races to advance their interests in the 2011 and 2012.

CACI’s small-donor committee contribution, therefore, will be an important factor in the financial support of CACI-endorsed legislative candidates in the fight for these critical, competitive seats

In short, we urgently need your help.  For the business community, the stakes this election cannot be higher.

To RSVP for the reception, contact Christine Gavin at 303.866.9628 or via e-mail at cgavin@COchamber.com