Gov. Jared Polis on May 29 again vetoed legislation that would have made it easier for labor organizations to impose dues on non-union members, a decision long expected after the legislature approved the measure without securing the buy-in of businesses.

Polis rejected a similar proposal last year, and cited the same reason: that, if enacted, the bill would allow a simple majority of employees who choose to unionize to “also determine that dues could be mandatorily taken from all workers.”

“I would have hoped that both business and labor leaders could have worked to craft a long-term and durable agreement on this matter that would have served Colorado workers and businesses alike,” he wrote in his veto letter. “Unfortunately, because that did not happen, this issue will likely come up again next year and every subsequent year until it is addressed, which creates uncertainty for both workers and businesses.”

The legislation, which advanced largely along partisan lines, would have repealed a nearly century-old law governing a requirement before a unionized workplace can collect fees on all workers, regardless of whether they are union members.

Democrats argued the change would strengthen workers’ ability to organize and negotiate higher wages, while Republicans countered that eliminating the second vote would force employees to pay union representation fees without sufficient consent.

The proposal did not actually deal with a workplace’s ability to unionize, since organizing itself is governed by federal law. For that election, a labor group must receive a simple majority to unionize. That second vote requires approval from at least 75% of workers voting. The 2026 labor-backed bill would eliminate the requirement for that second election.

During the debate on the legislation this year, the sponsors — Reps. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, and Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver — explained why they were bringing it back, saying workers’ rights are being jeopardized at the federal level.

“We’re back because the problem did not go away; it has only gotten worse,” Mabrey said. “Costs keep rising, workers are under attack like never before, and the president is gutting worker protections provided by the Department of Labor and OSHA.”

Governor signs other bills

Polis on Friday signed legislation to block the Colorado Lottery’s move to allow the purchase of tickets with credit cards, effectively reversing his earlier position.

Last November, Polis had said that he supported the decision of the Colorado Lottery Commission to allow that change.

“The governor is supportive of increasing consumer convenience, and the proposed rule change will modernize Colorado’s lottery system and ensure customers don’t need to fumble through several cards to buy what they want or have to pay for some things with a credit card and some with cash,” his office said.

Credit card sales for lottery tickets aren’t new. About 26 states already allow the practice. Just as many states don’t.

The commission’s decision to allow credit card purchases didn’t go over well with lawmakers, who sent a strongly worded letter to the commission before its Nov. 20 vote, in which legislators disputed the commission’s authority to allow credit card sales.

The commission insisted it had the authority under state law and approved the rule changes anyway.

That set up a showdown at the state Capitol with Senate Bill 117. The bill passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan votes.

The credit card rule would not change the commission revenue that retailers earn from selling lottery tickets. However, because retailers typically pay around 4% in credit card processing fees, those fees could significantly decrease their commission.

Veto on lobbyist rules

The governor vetoed another bill on Friday that would have required executive branch lobbyists to follow much of the same disclosure rules that already govern other Capitol lobbyists.

Lobbyists for organizations are required to state their clients’ position on bills, either as “amend,” “monitor,” “oppose,” or “support.” The executive branch’s lobbyists, on the other hand, rarely provide a position.

Senate Bill 147 included a provision to require lawmakers to wait two years after leaving office to become lobbyists for a state agency. That’s similar to the constitutional provision that puts a two-year time-out on lawmakers lobbying at the Capitol on behalf of non-agency organizations.

SB 147, which was backed by the Colorado Lobbyist Association, the Colorado Press Association and and the Colorado Nonprofit Association, passed on a 62-2 vote in the House and 30-4 in the Senate.

In his veto letter, Polis claimed the bill would impose new requirements on two branches of government, while it does not propose a requirement that legislators similarly disclose their positions on bills before their votes.

“This is an unequal and burdensome infringement that erodes separation of powers by elevating one branch of government over others, under the guise of transparency,” he said.

Colorado Politics’ Marissa Ventrelli and Luige del Puerto contributed to this article.