Governor to Sign CO State Employee Bill

Colorado state employees could see revised job protections under a measure headed to ballots this fall.

Gov. John Hickenlooper says he plans to sign the proposal to revise personnel regulations on Wednesday.

The governor’s signature is the last step before the changes go to voters.

Many of the protections are in the state constitution and therefore require a public vote to change.

The new rules would revise how state employees are hired and get rid of a little-used rule that protects senior employees over younger employees in case of layoffs.

The measure would also revise merit-pay provisions that workers complain haven’t worked as promised.

The state’s largest public-employee union is neutral on the changes.