A federal judge dismissed claims brought by the Douglas County Board of Commissioners alleging that a state law granting county employees the right to organize and join labor unions violates free speech protections and conflicts with federal labor law.
Douglas County officials have consistently challenged the provisions and authority of Colorado’s Collective Bargaining by County Employees Act, or COBCA, filing multiple lawsuits in state and federal court seeking to overturn the law’s application and reverse a state labor ruling against the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
A judge dismissed the case on Aug. 20, finding that the county lacked legal standing to sue. The court did not rule on the merits of the challenge to the state law.
In the federal lawsuit filed in October 2025 against Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Department of Labor and Employment Director Joe Barela, Douglas County commissioners sought a declaration resolving what they described as legal uncertainties surrounding COBCA and an injunction preventing future enforcement of the law.
Among other provisions, COBCA “prohibits counties from expressing views that deter or discourage unionizing and governs aspects of how a county must interact and bargain with unionized employees,” according to court documents.
County officials argued that this prohibition conflicts with federal labor law that promotes “open and robust dialogue between employers and employees on labor relations issues” and that COBCA violates...
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has filed two civil lawsuits alleging a Minneapolis bakery, a now-defunct nonprofit and others submitted false claims worth millions of dollars to the Minne...