Speak now: Colorado air commission invites public input in Pueblo

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project

In Pueblo or know someone who is? Speak up to the AQCC.

The image with this post is from an email I got last week. It gives details on an in-person public comment session for the Air Quality Control Commission happening in Pueblo on the 24th.

It’s live only and you don’t need to sign up, you can just go. In case you want it (and since pictures don’t have clickable links), I put the link from the email below.

Things like this are a great opportunity for everyday people to interact with their government and see others doing same. Even if all you did was attend, you’d have a chance to see what this board does, what others say to them, etc.

Beyond that, I want to put in a word for speaking up. I would bet you my lunch that there will be more than one person associated with the various environmental organizations around this state attending, speaking, and advocating; these groups are great at organizing, and they follow Colorado’s unelected boards around like courtiers. Whether they act on it or not, these boards need your perspective. They need to hear from someone who has to balance multiple life constraints and live in the present.

If you live in Pueblo, or know someone that does, pass the information below along.

The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission invites community members to participate in an upcoming public comment session:

• Wednesday, June 24, 2026
• From 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
• Pueblo Heritage Museum, 203 West B Street, Pueblo, CO 81003

This event provides an opportunity for residents to share their perspectives on any air quality issues with the Air Quality Control Commission. Participants who wish to speak will be given up to three minutes each to provide public comment in person. This public comment session is in person only, there will not be a virtual option. No registration is necessary. Please contact the AQCC office directly with any questions.

https://pueblohistory.org/pueblo-heritage-museum/

Be a part of the ballot analysis (Blue Book) writing process!

I just got my first email (of likely many) yesterday: it was an email about the upcoming Right To Hunt and Fish Initiative asking interested parties to sign up to provide feedback on drafts of the Blue Book analysis.

LCS staff will soon be starting the other initiatives on your 2026 ballot, so I expect more in the coming days. It’s that time of year.

There is nothing special about me or nothing complicated about being part of the ballot language analysis.** You simply need to sign up.

Quoting from the email I received (with their text formatting left intact):

“As noted in the memo, everyone who signs up for the mailing list for a particular ballot measure receives a copy of each draft of the analysis and has the opportunity to comment on these drafts throughout the process. Once a draft is complete, it is emailed and published online, allowing comments by any interested person. By law, all comments submitted to Legislative Council Staff must include the name of the person(s) submitting the comment and the name of the organization the person(s) represents or is affiliated with for purposes of making the comments. Legislative Council Staff also requires an email address. The mailing lists and all comments become public information upon release of the next draft.”

You can sign up by clicking the subscribe button on the first link below. The picture heading this post is of their landing page. I circled the button in red.

When you do, you will be taken to an online survey form. In case you wondered about the issues you can speak up on, screenshots 1a and 1b attached show all the ones you can click on to get updates.

If you, like me, wondered whether or not you’d signed up already and/or whether last year’s registration is still valid, go ahead and try to sign up again. If the computer recognizes you, it will send you a link so you can update your preferences.

If you have an issue you are passionate about and/or have some experience in, please look over the list and sign up. Get involved. I can almost guarantee you that advocacy groups already have.

READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT COLORADO ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT

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.