By RMV Staff | Rocky Mountain Voice
Last year Democrat lawmakers created a loophole to dodge public scrutiny—and Governor Polis made it law. Now it’s easier for lawmakers to evade state open meetings law, through written and electronic communication.
Republicans Sen. Byron Pelton and Rep. Lori Garcia Sander introduced House Bill 25-1242 to repeal and close that loophole. But the bill was killed in committee along party lines, reinforcing a trend toward less transparency at the state capitol.
In response, a coalition of government watchdogs and media groups from across the political spectrum is pushing a ballot measure to strengthen public access to records and keep legislative meetings open.
Transparency advocates, including the Independence Institute, League of Women Voters and Colorado Press Association, warn that a 2024 law lets lawmakers bypass open meetings rules.
It allows entire committees to meet in private before the session starts, shaping policy behind closed doors with no public oversight.
Critics argue that this process reduces public hearings to mere formalities, as major legislative deals are often decided before any open debate occurs.
The battle over open meetings is just one front in an ongoing war against transparency in Colorado. Other bills introduced this session are raising questions over whether they further limit public records access.
Senate Bill 25-077, sponsored by Rep. Matt Soper and Michael Carter, Sens. Janice Rich and Cathy Kipp, would extend the deadline for public records requests from three to five days, allowing agencies to delay responses even further. Critics warn this could lead to months-long waits for crucial public records.
The cost of accessing government records remains high, with requesters often forced to pay steep fees that limit their ability to investigate state and local government actions.
Rocky Mountain Voice can attest to this. In 2024, Rocky Mountain Voice sent a CORA request to a county asking for emails to and from an individual to officials and employees in the clerk’s office, with a specified date range totaling 56 days. The county estimated 37 hours for research and review, and waiving the first hour, would process the request at a cost of $1,080.
SB 25-077 passed the Senate on February 26 and is currently up for a second reading in the House. However, a proposed reform to lower these costs was blocked in committee.
House Bill 25-1031, sponsored by Reps. Jennifer Bacon and Chad Clifford, shields law enforcement whistleblowers from retaliation so they can report misconduct without fear of losing their jobs by allowing them to sue for damages if they face adverse employment actions for speaking out.
Opponents warn it could limit public access to internal investigations, keeping key records hidden. HB 25-1031 is under consideration in the House Judiciary Committee, with the Weld County Board of Commissioners opposing the bill.
Efforts to restore transparency have stalled, but the fight isn’t over.
Jon Caldara and a bipartisan coalition are pushing the “Right to Know” ballot initiative for 2026. The measure would guarantee public access to government records, ban secret legislative meetings and lower costs for public information requests.