In an effort to highlight the business issues involved in the four statewide races on the November ballot, “Colorado Chamber Office Hours” is bringing those candidates onto the podcast, asking them about issues important to employers and putting their interviews back-to-back to let listeners compare and contrast the office-seekers. And in our first of four episodes, we offer our discussions this week with the two major contenders to be Colorado’s next secretary of state.
While the Secretary of State’s office most prominently oversees Colorado’s elections, it also serves as the entry point for every person registering, operating or closing a business in this state, charging fees for each of those services. It also collects business data that is compiled and used to give a snapshot of economic conditions, and these and other business subjects are what occupy most of the conversations, though we do segue into some big-picture election goals for the candidates at the end of each discussion.
Republican James Wiley, a secure-elections activist, says he wants to make business filers’ records more secure by putting them on blockchain, and he offers registration-simplification ideas including automatic renewal of business registrations. Democrat Amanda Gonzalez, the current Jefferson County clerk and recorder, discusses how her experience running a small business has influenced her customer-service approach to the job and says she’d like to ensure that business owners who speak English as a second language can get through the office’s registration requirements more easily.
To listen to the episode, find it on all of your favorite podcast channels:
