By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
If you are not a political insider, the two-month period between electing your state lawmakers to the General Assembly and the filing of bills as the state legislature begins might be filled with radio silence.
That’s the point of a bill from Rep. Stephanie Luck, a Southern Colorado Republican in District 60. House Bill 25-1069 would seek to increase transparency in the legislative process for all Coloradans. It was heard Monday in the House’s State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee.
The bill would create an online forum for a member of the General Assembly to voluntarily share drafts or titles of bills being considered with the public.
“Our constituents seek more than just periodic updates,” said Democrat Eliza Hamrick, a co-prime sponsor of the legislation added prior to the hearing. “By approving this bill we are taking significant steps toward transparency.”
Luck ran the bill in the 74th Legislative Session, and it did well until it got defeated by the calendar late in the session, she said.
“This is designed to provide a voluntary opportunity for [disclosure of] a lawmaker’s bill draft titles or bill draft subjects prior to the session,” Luck said.
She notes there would be a window in which a lawmaker could drop bill language or titles into the forum, and the public could consume it. Luck notes lawmakers could choose not to communicate potential legislation with their constituents, or not all legislation or, instead, all their bills.
“This bill advocates a significant advancement with how we communicate with our constituents,” Hamrick said.
The bill sponsors even pushed through an amendment to eliminate any financial impact by delaying startup of the online forum until 2028, which one member of the committee called unfortunate because of the delay involved.
More than a dozen Coloradans spoke in unanimous support of the bill, and none opposed it.
The bill is a model, “in an era where citizens demand greater transparency of its government,” said Republican Party Vice Chairwoman Hope Scheppelman.
But, the bill also was supported by one group generally viewed to be politically opposite Republicans.
“Any access voters have to what their lawmakers are considering should be barrier free,” said Linda Hutchinson, with the League of Women Voters in Colorado.
A Denver doctor also noted the speed with which bills can drop to open a session.
“This equips citizens with the information needed to participate meaningfully,” said Dr. Catherine Winchester, who noted seven other states have implemented a version of the bill.
Jeff Roberts, the executive director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, also spoke in support of the bill. He noted it would be a “no-cost way for journalists and the public to learn about bills ahead of time.”
The forum would be operational in the interim, the period between two legislative sessions, but close at the start of the session.
“I see this as a really great bipartisan bill,” Hamrick said. “I see this as a great way of pushing out the information so you can get citizen input.”
The bill was supported by an 11-0 vote of the committee comprised of seven Democrats and four Republicans. It advances to appropriations.
“I think we want to be transparent, accountable and want to cultivate democracy,” said Republican Rep. Brandi Bradley. “That’s why I support it.”