Senate Joint Resolution 25-008

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 25-008

BY SENATOR(S) Bridges and Amabile, Baisley, Ball, Bright, Carson, Catlin, Cutter, Danielson, Daugherty, Exum, Frizell, Gonzales J., Hinrichsen, Jodeh, Kipp, Kirkmeyer, Kolker, Liston, Lundeen, Marchman, Michaelson Jenet, Mullica, Pelton B., Pelton R., Rich, Roberts, Rodriguez, Simpson, Snyder, Sullivan, Weissman, Winter F., Coleman;

also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Bird and Taggart, Armagost, Bacon, Barron, Boesenecker, Bradfield, Brown, Caldwell, Camacho, Carter, DeGraaf, Duran, English, Espenoza, Feret, Froelich, Garcia, Garcia Sander, Gilchrist, Gonzalez R., Hamrick, Hartsook, Jackson, Johnson, Joseph, Keltie, Lieder, Lindsay, Lindstedt, Lukens, Mabrey, Martinez, Mauro, McCormick, Paschal, Phillips, Pugliese, Rutinel, Rydin, Sirota, Smith, Soper, Stewart K., Stewart R., Story, Titone, Valdez, Velasco, Willford, Winter T., Woodrow, Zokaie, McCluskie.

CONCERNING DESIGNATING MARCH 3, 2025, AS "BUY COLORADO DAY" AND MARCH 3-10, 2025, AS "BUY COLORADO WEEK" IN COLORADO, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, ACKNOWLEDGING THE SIGNIFICANT GLOBAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF HOMEGROWN COLORADO BRANDS AND BUSINESSES.

WHEREAS, Colorado is home to nearly 700,000 small businesses that employ more than 1.2 million people; and

WHEREAS, Nine Fortune 500 companies have chosen Colorado for their global headquarters, and more are on their way; and

WHEREAS, Colorado was the first home for products now recognized the whole world over, including Crocs, the snap-button Western shirt, Jolly Ranchers, Coors Banquet Beer, the Denver Boot, the Polar Bottle, the Denver omelet, the cowboy hat, the Chipotle burrito, outdoor Christmas lights, Celestial Seasonings teas, the root beer float, OtterBox, the slopper, PopSockets, and even the cheeseburger, among others; and

WHEREAS, The Centennial State's stunning natural beauty and unparalleled access to spectacular outdoor recreation have inspired local entrepreneurs to produce and sell everything from bicycles to fly-fishing reels to backpacks, sleeping bags, cylinder stoves, rafts, tents, coolers, campers, and more; and

WHEREAS, The state's more than 13,000 restaurants and taverns, 69% of which are independently owned and operated, generate more than $20 billion in economic activity and employ 11% of the state's labor force; and

WHEREAS, Colorado is home to more than 100 craft distilleries, the sixth most of any state, whose products are savored globally, especially in mountain towns stretching from Steamboat Springs to Salida; and

WHEREAS, The state's legendary brewing industry has cemented our status as the State of Craft Beer, with more than 400 craft breweries generating more than $2.4 billion in economic impact; and

WHEREAS, Colorado is one of the nation's top agricultural states, generating $47 billion annually in economic activity and employing more than 195,000 people who produce world-famous cattle, dairy, sheep and lambs, wool, alfalfa, potatoes, cantaloupes, onions, apples, peaches, grapes, and lemons and more; and

WHEREAS, Colorado's natural products and consumer packaged goods businesses, or "CPG businesses", repeatedly set global examples for conscious capitalism, with the state's annual food manufacturing exports topping $2.3 billion; and

WHEREAS, The state is home to the first licensed, adult-use cannabis brands and retailers in the world, which paved the way for Colorado's groundbreaking business opportunities in the nascent natural medicine market; and

WHEREAS, The most important thing Coloradans can do to grow their communities, spark innovation, inspire meaning, and create jobs is to spend their money close to home; and

WHEREAS, The 303 area code was one of the country's first area codes and initially covered the entire state of Colorado; and

WHEREAS, March 3 can be marked on calendars as 3/03; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the House of Representatives concurring herein:

That we, the members of the Colorado General Assembly:

(1)  Recognize that Colorado businesses and brands are one of the many reasons that Colorado is the best state in the country;

(2)  Designate Monday, March 3, 2025, or "303 Day", to be "Buy Colorado Day" in the state of Colorado;

(3)  Designate the week of March 3-10, 2025, to be "Buy Colorado Week" in the state of Colorado; and

(4)  Urge Coloradans, this week, today, and every day, to spend their hard-earned dollars at local businesses that benefit us all.

Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Joint Resolution be sent to History Colorado, Governor Jared Polis, and the members of Colorado's congressional delegation.