DENVER – A resolution on the importance of gender diversity on corporate boards sparked substantial debate Wednesday in the Colorado Senate.
House Joint Resolution 1017, which would “encourage equitable and diverse gender representation of corporate boards” and outlines benefits of diversity, passed in the House without debate before moving to the Senate, where the measure was questioned by members of the GOP.
Despite the debate, it passed the Senate 24-11 vote. All of no votes came from Republicans.
Opponents insisted that their concerns were not with the measure’s intentions but rather with the directive it presumed to place on publicly held corporations.
“This is a great resolution with the exception of the fact that it becomes prescriptive at the end,” said Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton.
The measure suggests a ratio of male-to-female members on boards that the sponsors believe is equitable, but as a resolution it doesn’t carry any legislative weight.
Neville also said it is not the job of the Legislature to make such management decisions.
“Businesses are smart and businesses should do what is best for them, and they should make that decision. Legislators shouldn’t be making that decision for businesses,” he said.
Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora and sponsor of HJR 1017, said the resolution was not intended to be prescriptive but simply to encourage businesses to promote diversity in their governing bodies and outline the benefits that various studies have shown.
“This is not someone’s opinion. This is not: “Oh, we just want women to have equal rights,’” Todd said. “This is based upon economic study. This is based upon research that has been going on for over a decade.”
Sen. Vicki Marble, R-Fort Collins, said she was concerned the measure could lead businesses to fill “quotas” instead of looking for the most qualified candidates.
Sen. Don Coram, R-Montrose, who voted in favor of HJR 1017, said he was concerned the resolution could send the message that women are entitled to these positions.
“I’m going to support this, but I’m going to put an asterisk beside it that (says): ‘Don’t expect to succeed because you are a woman.’ And I think that is what we need to talk about here today,” Coram said. “You deserve every opportunity that everyone else (has), but you have no more or no less rights to success.”
lperkins@durangoherald.com
