Denver Chamber CEO Cites Policy Concerns, Declining Competitiveness for Colorado
J.J. Ament, CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, asserts that Colorado is becoming less desirable due to "poor choices" in policy, citing increased regulations, negative net migration, and a decline in economic competitiveness. He highlights issues such as…
Denver, CO, September 5, 2026 —
J.J. Ament, Chief Executive Officer of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, has stated that Colorado is experiencing a decline in its desirability as a place to live and do business. Ament attributes this trend to what he describes as “poor choices” in public policy.
In his remarks, Ament pointed to several contributing factors, including a rise in regulations affecting businesses, a negative net migration rate, and an overall decrease in the state’s economic competitiveness. These elements, according to Ament, are collectively making Colorado less attractive.
Specific policy issues were highlighted as impacting the business environment. Ament mentioned Denver’s minimum wage laws as one such factor that is presenting challenges for businesses operating within the city. The specifics of these impacts were not detailed in the provided summary.
Furthermore, Ament issued a call for public employees to return to their offices located in downtown areas. The stated objective behind this appeal is to foster revitalization within the urban core.
The summary does not provide specific data on the negative net migration or detailed examples of increased regulations. The precise policies considered “poor choices” by Ament and the extent of the decline in economic competitiveness were also not elaborated upon in the source information.
Story summarized from the original created by Beth Davidz on www.cpr.org, see more information here.
