Colorado Open Meetings Law (COML) was a citizen initiative initially passed in 1972 with the intent that the formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret. The government works for the people and the people have a right to know what the government is doing on its behalf and what sort of laws and regulations it intends to formulate.
As a transparency advocate, I think that’s a good thing. I take comfort in knowing that both COML and the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) are there. As a town councilman, mayor, and now County Commissioner, I WANT YOU to know what I am doing on your behalf. You deserve to know and I want you to know.
So why have Colorado Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie (D, Dillon) and Senate President Steve Fenberg (D, Boulder) introduced legislation to make the Colorado Legislature exempt from the Colorado Open Meetings Law? Under Senate Bill 24-157, COML still applies to other forms of government – City Councils and Boards of County Commissioners – as it should. But the Colorado State Legislature would be exempted.
Your first reaction should be what mine was – Why?! What are they trying to hide?!
A First Amendment attorney interviewed by the Denver Gazette said the proposed law “completely exempts the General Assembly, and all its constituent committees, from the open meetings law.”
Steve Zansberg, the attorney interviewed by the Gazette, went on to say the proposed law…
…would allow state legislators (i.e., all of them, collectively) to discuss all pending legislation via electronic communications without the public ever being able to inspect those communications.
First Amendment Attorney Steve Zansberg
Why? What is the reason? Every Coloradan should be asking every Democrat signed on as a sponsor of this legislation why they believe that you should be kept in the dark.
When will we collectively wake up and care about the slow march to tyranny that we seem to be on?
