Transparency for All, Not Just Some

By Dusty Johnson | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Editor's update: SB26-147 is scheduled for third reading and final passage in the House today, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. The legislative day began at 11 a.m. Coloradans may listen live at sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00327/Harmony/en/PowerBrowser/PowerBrowserV2/20260506/74/18834#info_ 

Coloradans deserve a government that operates in the open. They deserve to know who is influencing their laws, how those decisions are being shaped, and how taxpayer dollars are being used in that process. That is exactly why I am proud to sponsor SB26-147. 

At its core, this bill is simple. It applies the same transparency standards to everyone involved in lobbying, including those working inside government. 

Right now, private sector lobbyists in Colorado are required to disclose who they represent, what they are paid, and where they stand on legislation. Those laws exist for a reason. They give the public insight into who is shaping public policy. 

But under the current system, the Governor’s office and executive branch employees can engage in the exact same lobbying activity without those same requirements. Taxpayer-funded legislative liaisons and members of the Governor’s team are actively working to support, oppose, and amend legislation, yet they are not required to tell the public where they stand. 

There is no functional difference between those individuals and the professional lobbyists who already follow the law. The only difference is transparency. 

SB26-147 closes that loophole. It ensures that anyone paid to engage in the legislative process, especially with public dollars, must disclose the bills they are working on and whether they support, oppose, amend, or monitor those measures. It eliminates duplicative reporting while bringing consistency and accountability to the system. It also includes a two-year cooling-off period to prevent elected officials from immediately stepping into lobbying roles after leaving office. 

This is not a partisan idea. The bill passed Senate committees unanimously, passed Appropriations unanimously, and earned strong bipartisan support on the Senate floor. Even judicial branch agencies that have historically been exempt from reporting requirements worked with us to comply with the transparency this bill provides. 

And yet, despite all of that, Governor Jared Polis and his administration have opposed this bill from the beginning.

The Governor’s office has argued that they are involved in too many bills to track and disclose their positions. Think about that for a moment. If the administration is influencing so many pieces of legislation that they cannot keep track, that is not an excuse to avoid transparency. That is the strongest possible argument for it. 

Other governors across the country are not as deeply involved in shaping every piece of policy as we have seen in Colorado. This level of involvement makes transparency more important, not less. 

The reality is that the Governor’s office holds enormous influence over the legislative process. That includes the power to shape bills behind the scenes and the authority to veto legislation at the end. SB26-147 does not change that authority one bit. The Governor can still sign or veto any bill that reaches his desk. 

What this bill does is ensure that Coloradans can see how that influence is being used before decisions are finalized. 

There is no rational reason for some individuals engaged in lobbying to be held to strict transparency standards while others are allowed to operate in the shadows. There should be no special treatment and no loopholes, especially when taxpayer dollars are involved. 

Colorado has often led the way on transparency and good governance. This bill continues that tradition. It is a commonsense reform that levels the playing field and gives the public a clearer view into how decisions are made. 

If this bill is vetoed, it will be clear that the opposition was never about workload or logistics. It will be about avoiding transparency. 

I know Coloradans deserve better. Government works best when it works in the light. 

Dusty Johnson, from Fort Morgan, is state representative for House District 63, which serves the northeast area of Colorado.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.