Gov. Jared Polis vetoes Colorado rideshare bill that had strong opposition from Uber and Lyft
Gov. Jared Polis has vetoed a bill that was intended to improve safety for rideshare passengers. Uber had threatened to leave the state if the bill became law.
The bill would have required background checks, and would have required rides to be recorded if the driver and passengers agreed to it. Governor Polis had concerns about the language around audio-visual recording saying, "Drivers and riders are entitled to privacy, and while I appreciate the movement on the issue, the net effect of the remaining language in the bill still strongly suggests making recording mandatory, which will put this law in direct conflict with other state privacy laws and make compliance a challenge."
State Rep. Jenny Willford, a Northglenn Democrat, sponsored House Bill 25-1291 after sharing her story of being sexually assaulted during a ride on Lyft.
Representatives Meg Froelich and Senators Faith Winter and Jessie Danielson co-sponsored the bill. In a joint statement, they said, "The Governor says he cares about survivors — but actions speak louder than words." They claimed, "The bill used proven and reasonable safety measures that were long overdue and would have significantly reduced the number of future sex assaults." The bill passed the Colorado House 59-6.
Polis said in a letter "together, these changes would jeopardize these services in Colorado to an untenable degree, and could very well lead to companies that Coloradans rely on exiting the market, raising prices, or reducing the number of drivers. "
The govenor is instructing the Public Utilities Commission to figure out additional safety enhancements it can take.
Earlier this month Lyft joined Uber in their request for the governor to veto the bill.
The sponsors promised to keep fighting for survivors, "This was a David and Goliath battle — and while David didn't win today, this fight is far from over. We will be back. And we will keep fighting until every rider and driver is safe."
In the following letter Polis sent to lawmakers, the governor explains his decision. Click on the letter to see it in a separate window.
Proponents of the bill shared a letter in response to the veto:
More than 15,000 rideshare riders have reported being sexually assaulted between 2017 and 2022. One survivor, Erika Rinnert, says she worries cases like her will continue if nothing is done. Her attacker, John Pastor-Mendoza, was sentenced to 290 years to life earlier this year.
"This isn't about shutting down Uber or shutting down Lyft. We absolutely need both of those in the state," Erika Rinnert said. "But that doesn't mean that you can skirt safety. We have to have those regulations in place, and it's clear that it's not working."
Rinnert and other survivors issued a letter to the governor this week, hoping their stories would showcase a need for more regulations to prevent future riders from becoming victims.
