Neha Mahajan, state director of the group 9to5 Colorado, says even though Colorado’s economy is booming, many families are still living paycheck to paycheck. She says the new program would ensure that all workers have a baseline for economic security.

“They’re not facing financial crisis when they have to take time off of work to bond with a new baby or an adopted child, for their own serious illness, for taking care of the serious illness of a family member and loved one,” she explains.

She says workers would contribute from $2 to $5 a week to create an insurance pool that can be tapped for up to 12 weeks of partial wages in a calendar year. Similar measures have stalled in the past four sessions.