· The state’s wedding business would see an increase by $40 million, and an increase of roughly $10 million in tourism expenditures made by out-of-town guests over the same period.
· Total state and local tax revenue would rise by $3.7 million, including an estimated $2.3 million in local sales taxes. The first year would produce $2 million of this spending.
· The boost in wedding spending will generate approximately 436 jobs in the state.
The report also takes into account the couples who have already celebrated their marriage elsewhere and the estimated 3,976 Colorado resident couples who have already entered into civil unions. If those couples marry without ceremonies, the economic impact will be smaller: roughly $32 million.
“We’ve already known that marriage would give committed couples here in Colorado the opportunity to make a lifetime promise to each other and protect their families the same way everyone else does,” said Dave Montez, Executive Director of One Colorado, the state’s leading advocacy group for LGBT Coloradans and their families. “Now we know that marriage equality would also benefit our economy and contribute to the state’s bot