Colorado Seeks to Extend Legislation on Bias in Employment

Leaders of both houses of the Colorado state legislature have been conferring with legislators and citizens interested in human relations about new FEPC legislation to extend coverage and improve administration of the state’s Fair Employment Practices Act. Among the conferees were representatives of B’nai B’rith, the Anti-Defamation League and a rabbi, as well as non Jewish laymen and clergymen.

The present act, which went into effect four years ago, established an Anti-Discrimination Division within the Industrial Commission of Colorado and a Governor’s Human Relations Commission charged with the duty of preparing and planning an educational program to carry out the purposes of the Act. The state can force public employers to halt discrimination in employment, under the terms of the Act, but has no jurisdiction to force compliance by private employers. New legislation is aimed at covering private employment.