The Denver Post editorial board gave state Senator Evie Hudak's (D-Westminster) SB1 a swift kick to the rhetorical curb today, slamming it as "muddled economic thinking" that amounts to "protectionist rules for labor that try to tilt the playing field."

SB1 is a bill that allows in-state contractors to win state contracts even if they aren't the lowest bidders.

Specifically, the bill gives up to 5% bidding preference to companies that employ at least 90% Coloradans. That means the state isn't going with the lowest bid, which would jack up the cost of doing business. 

The ed board notes:

But the way to boost the economy is not to increase the cost of government. Nor is it to penalize efficient businesses that offer the lowest bid.

The bill is merely a political messaging tool for Democrats' to push their protectionist economic philosophy, as it's virtually guaranteed to die in the House.

Thankfully the liberal editorial board recognized it as such and weighed in against it.

They also noted something we mentioned a few months ago: namely that the bill hypocritically stands in contrast to other legislation pushed by Democrats.

The bipartisan effort to alter the state personnel system would allow the state to hire out-of-state workers who live within 30 miles of the border to work for the state of Colorado. 

Basically, Democrats in pushing SB1 are pushing to punish out-of-state contractors, but in the state personnel changes are helping to hire out-of-state workers. 

As we said at the time:

Let's get this rhetoric straight — we need more state government contractors who live in Colorado, but less resident employees? If benefits are being meted out, let's get the widest pool, but when it's just straight contracts, we need to limit our options?

And here is how The Denver Post editorial board noted it:

We also can't fail to see irony in the fact that lawmakers across the spectrum have been saying that the state's personnel rules, embedded in the constitution, impose residency rules that keep government managers from recruiting the best candidates.

Evie Hudak and legislative Democrats need to get their messaging straight. Do they want the Colorado government to tell other state's workers they aren't welcome, or not?

It's never good to have The Denver Post ed board taking direct shot at your legislation, but it's especially bad when you're in one of the top targeted districts in the state. 

This editorial is almost guaranteed to show up in a piece of mail for  former Top Gun instructor Lang Sias who is running against Hudak.

Considering Sias is a fighter pilot, he should have no problem lighting Hudak up for this ill-considered piece of legislation.

(Photo Credit: Colorado News Agency)