LobbyComply Blog

The Colorado Legislature adjourned the First Extraordinary Session of the 75th General Assembly sine die on August 26. Lawmakers passed 11 bills including measures addressing the 2025-26 budget shortfall; amending a November ballot issue on universal school meals to also cover SNAP benefit costs; requiring the Governor to present any mid-year spending cuts to the joint budget committee; and resetting the implementation dates of an AI regulation bill from February 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026, affording lawmakers more time to consider revisions.

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Gov. Jared Polis called for a special session beginning August 21. Legislators are being asked to address a budget shortfall for 2025-26; Medicaid funding; changes to the school meal program; and concerns about Senate Bill 24-205, an AI regulation effective February 1, 2026. The special session will last until adjourned by joint resolution upon completion of items in the governor’s proclamation. A professional lobbyist must disclose within 72 hours if agreeing to lobby for an existing client in connection with new legislation, standards, rules, or rates during the special session.

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The Legislature adjourned sine die on May 7. The legislative session lasted for 120 days, with more than 650 bills introduced. Lawmakers passed House Bill 1315 to modify the way vacancies in the General Assembly are filled by election. The bill defines election cycle as it relates to a vacancy candidate committee during the party selection process as the period beginning on the effective date of the vacancy and ending 30 days following the date upon which the vacancy committee selects an individual to fill the vacancy. Election cycle as it relates to major political party vacancy elections is the period beginning on the date upon which a vacancy committee selects a member to fill the vacancy and ending 30 days following the major political party vacancy election. The legislation also clarifies contribution limits for vacancy candidate committees as those limits specified in the state constitution. If signed by the governor, the legislation will become effective August 5.

On November 5, voters in Colorado rejected a ballot measure establishing top four primaries and ranked choice voting in general elections.

Proposition 131 aimed to eliminate party primaries, and instead all candidates, regardless of party, would compete in an open primary.

The top four finishers in each race would advance to the general election, where voters would rank candidates for each office in order of preference.

If one candidate were to receive more than 50% of the vote, he or she would win.

If not, the last place finisher in that race would be eliminated, and the votes would be reallocated to the candidate the voters rank second.

The elimination process would continue until one candidate had 50% of all the votes cast.

As of 9:00 a.m. November 6, with 73% of the precincts reporting, Proposition 131 failed 56% to 45%.

Gov. Jared Polis has issued an executive order which calls for a special session to address the need for an expanded property tax-relief package.

Legislators will work to bring more relief for Colorado residents and businesses and are limited to issues concerning only property taxes.

The session will begin on August 26.

It is projected to last for around three days.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office issued a notice of temporary adoption of rules taking immediate effect, implementing contribution limit increases consistent with Constitutional requirements.

The Colorado Constitution requires contribution limits to be adjusted based upon the percentage change over a four-year period in the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Denver-Boulder-Greeley.

The Secretary of State’s Office calculates the adjustment for each limit and specifies the limits in promulgated rules.

Candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and state treasurer may now accept $725 per election from individuals and political committees, and $7,825 per election from small donor committees.

Additionally, candidates for state Legislature, state Board of Education, University of Colorado regent, and district attorney may now accept $225 per election from individuals and political committees, and $3,100 per election from small donor committees.

Other increases include contribution limits of $23,600 per calendar year from small donor committees to a political party at the state, county, district, and local levels combined.

The next adjustment will take place in the first quarter of 2027.

The Colorado Department of State approved permanent revisions to Campaign and Political Finance Rule 1505-6.

The rule amendments include setting contribution limits to candidates for school district director from persons other than small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $2,500; setting contribution limits to candidates for school district director from small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election in the amount of $25,000; and changing the post-election report filing deadline from 30 days to 35 days.

The rules will become permanently effective 20 days after publication in the Colorado Register.

The 73^rd Colorado General Assembly adjourned sine die May 11.

During the session, legislation related to campaign finance was introduced. House Bill 1060 was passed, creating aggregate limits on candidates for school district director from persons other than small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election of $2,500. Further, a $25,000 limit was established for contributions to candidates for school district director from small donor committees for any regular biennial or special school election. The bill takes effect July 1.

Additionally, Senate Bill 237 relating to ballot measure expenditures was introduced and passed through both chambers as of May 10. The bill would expand the definition of earmark for purposes of the Fair Campaign Practices Act to include contributions or expenditures greater than $1,000 to support or oppose a specified ballot issue or ballot question. Further, the bill would modify the process to determine whether an organization is an issue committee to include an examination of the organization’s pattern of conduct. Additionally, any person who makes a expends $5,000 in aggregate in a calendar year on direct ballot issue or ballot question expenditure expenditures must report to the secretary of state, and any person who makes a direct ballot issue or ballot question expenditure must disclose their name in certain communications about a ballot issue or ballot question. If passed, portions of the bill would become effective immediately and the section providing for disclosure to the secretary of state of $5,000 spent by an individual in a calendar year would become effective September 1.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law legislation creating campaign finance limits for school board races for the first time.

House Bill 1060 will cap individual donations at $2,500 and small donor committees at $25,000 per school board candidate.

The legislation, however, won’t affect spending by independent committees.

The new contribution limits would be subject to existing laws governing the disclosure of campaign contribution and would require filings with the secretary of state.

The bill goes into effect July 1, 2022.

Colorado lawmakers have proposed campaign finance limits for school board races for the first time.

House Bill 1060 would cap individual donations at $2,500 and small donor committees at $25,000 per school board candidate.

The legislation, however, won’t affect spending by independent committees.

If passed, the new contribution limits would be subject to existing laws governing the disclosure of campaign contributions and would require filings with the secretary of state.

The City of Aurora opened its Lobbyist Registration Portal.

The city’s Ordinance 2021-08 took effect August 1 and quarterly activity reports are now required.

The first report is due October 15.

The city’s website notes the City Clerk will accept complaints regarding compliance beginning January 16, 2022.

The City Clerk’s Office will focus on education and compliance in the regulation of lobbyists during the year the ordinance takes effect.

Lobbyists will not be subject to revocation, suspension nor sanctions for any violations in 2021.

The Colorado General Assembly adjourned sine die for the 2021 session shortly before 8 p.m. on June 8 after debating a controversial climate bill on the House floor.

During the session, a bill was passed relating to local government election codes. Senate Bill 21-160 clarifies that, when computing time for any designated period of days for a local government election, the first day from which the period of days runs is excluded and the last day from which the period of days is included.

The bill also provides a process for dividing a special district into separate director districts and for members to be elected from each director district at large or by the electors within each director district.

The bill takes effect following the expiration of the 90-day period after final adjournment of the General Assembly.

The Colorado Secretary of State will host a rulemaking hearing April 19 on proposed amendments to Colorado Secretary of State Rules Concerning Lobbyist Regulation (8 C.C.R. Section 1505-8).

The proposals amend the definition of redistricting commission lobbyist as a person who is contracted or compensated to communicate directly or indirectly, including through providing public comment.

The proposal further provides such communication would be with a member of a redistricting commission as a whole, with an individual member of a redistricting commission, or with redistricting commission staff, to advocate for the adoption or rejection of any map, amendment to a map, or to otherwise aid or influence such redistricting commission, commissioner, or staff.

The hearing will begin at 3:00 p.m. and will conclude at the end of public comment.

The City Council in Aurora, Colorado passed an ordinance to create lobbyist registration and reporting requirements in the city.

Ordinance 2021-08 requires lobbyists to register their clients and income with the City Clerk and submit quarterly, detailed activity reports by January 15, April 15, July 15 October 15 of each year.

City council members, city staff, commission members, and zoning officials will also have to disclose activities with lobbyists.

Lobbyists who do not comply with the regulations could lose the ability to influence city officials on matters from development to zoning rules, permits, and city contracts, face possible expulsion and up to $2,500 fines per charge.

The ordinance passed on March 22 with one nay vote.

Ordinance 21-08 will become effective on August 1, 2021. This effective date was suggested to allow time for the implementation of a platform the city will use for reporting and developing training materials.