Colorado LegiSource

An informational and educational resource for the Colorado General Assembly by the Office of Legislative Legal Services.

Author: olls

  • So…You’ve Just Been CORA’d. Now What Do You Do?

    by Chuck Brackney and Bart Miller

    You may first encounter the Colorado Open Records Act, or CORA (§24-72-200.1, et seq.), as an unfamiliar e-mail in your inbox. The message may come from someone you’ve never met or even heard of, and it may contain a rather startling request for copies of “all e-mails sent or received by Representative Smith, as well as all telephone records, for the period January 1 to May 1, 2013.”  Believe it or not, all of these records of communications are potentially subject to release in response to an open records request. (more…)

  • Leftover Campaign Funds are Useful Even After the Election

    by Bob Lackner

    With the start of the legislative session, the memory of your months of electioneering are beginning to fade, but there is one continuing, nagging concern: What to do about the leftover money in the campaign account? You may be worried about the legal consequences of possessing these moneys and confused about what, if anything, you can do with the money. This article gives guidance to legislators in answering these questions. (more…)

  • Where to Turn When You Are Faced with an Ethics Dilemma

    by Jennifer Gilroy

    Bravo!! You’ve just realized that the invitation you received today to participate in a legislative conference in Las Vegas, or a business luncheon in your district, or a tour of the southwestern Colorado river basins may actually present an ethics issue that you need to consider before immediately accepting. You are momentarily pleased with yourself for recognizing the ethics issue, but then trepidation sets in as you begin to ponder the many sources of ethics laws in Colorado. Suddenly you are overwhelmed and confused. There’s something about gifts over $53, refusing all gifts from lobbyists, conflicts of interest, and undue influence. The sources of ethics laws in Colorado seem so complicated and confusing and, frankly, you’re really not sure if you understand them well enough to evaluate your situation accurately. Where can you turn for guidance when you are faced with an ethics dilemma? (more…)

  • A Few Speeches But No Parades: What to Expect on the First Day of the 2013 Legislative Session

    by Julie Pelegrin

    The opening day of the First Regular Session of the Sixty-ninth General Assembly is just around the corner: Wednesday, January 9, 2013. For many legislators and legislative watchers, the hoopla and falderal will be old hat, but for those who are new to the process, here’s a quick overview of what to expect and some explanation of why they do what they do. (more…)

  • Educator Effectiveness and Senate Bill 10-191

    by Jane Ritter

    The Licensed Personnel Performance Evaluation Act (Act), Article 9 of Title 22, C.R.S., created in 1984, addresses licensed personnel evaluations for K-12 educators. Minor amendments to the Act were made over the years, but until 2010, the essence of the Act remained untouched.

    In 2010, the General Assembly passed the controversial S.B. 10-191, the majority of which focused on a sweeping overhaul of the Act and the way teachers, principals, and other licensed educators are evaluated. (more…)

  • Must and Shall: A Statutory Distinction

    by Thomas Morris

    You may have noticed that some of the bills recently drafted by the Office of Legislative Legal Services have begun to use the word “must” in some instances where we previously would have used the word “shall”. What is the reason for this change and what does it mean for bills the Office will write in the future? (more…)

  • Single Subject Requirement Prevents a Multitude of Evils

    by Julie Pelegrin

    Because of the legislative rules you can only introduce five bills. But, you have eight issues that really need to be addressed in legislation. Why not combine a few of them and accomplish more in less time with less hassle? While it sounds efficient, it might also be unconstitutional. (more…)

  • Departments, Agencies, Boards, and Commissions – The Organization of the Executive Branch of State Government

    by Chuck Brackney

    Colorado’s constitution creates the three arms of state government we all know — the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The legislative branch is the General Assembly, while the judicial branch encompasses all state courts. The executive branch is a bit more complicated. (more…)

  • The Water Resources Review Committee Makes a Splash

    By Jennifer Berman and Thomas Morris

    During the 2012 interim, the Water Resources Review Committee (WRRC) heard presentations from a variety of stakeholders interested in maintaining the quality and quantity of Colorado’s water supply, including water users, providers, administrators, and experts. The committee also approved six bills and two resolutions to recommend for introduction in the 2013 regular session. (more…)

  • Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension Reform Commission

    by Nicole Myers

    The Police Officers’ and Firefighters’ Pension Reform Commission met once during the 2012 interim for an annual briefing from the Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) and to consider one bill recommended by the FPPA Board of Directors for introduction during the 2013 legislative session. (more…)