Unemployment trust fund highest legislative priority

DENVER — Just months into the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado blew through its $1.1 billion unemployment insurance trust fund reserve.

Now, as the economy improves and the 2022 Colorado legislative session kicks off this month, elected officials and business leaders are navigating how to bring the rainy day fund back into the black. 

One way to is vastly increase the surcharge businesses pay into the fund — a non-starter for many business leaders.

Another is to build repayment into the state’s budget to be paid for, at least in part, from federal COVID-19 funds. Gov. Jared Polis has proposed putting $600 million toward the…