The Colorado General Assembly is preparing for a special session to provide more relief to those impacted by COVID-19.

Gov. Jared Polis wants lawmakers to take immediate action on elements of his $1.3 billion stimulus package. This would include relief for restaurant owners and other small businesses.

The special session is expected after the Thanksgiving holiday, before lawmakers return on January 13 for their next regular session. It will take at least three days to approve the legislation.

A professional lobbyist must disclose within 72 hours if a lobbyist agrees to lobby for an existing client or takes a new position in connection to legislation, standard, rules, or rates during a special session.

Two Fort Collins City Council campaign finance ordinances were approved for final passage on September 15.

Ordinance 109-2020 will allow unexpended campaign contributions to a candidate committee to be contributed to a candidate committee established by the same candidate for a subsequent campaign in a city election or to a candidate committee established after January 1, 2021.

The ordinance will also reduce the penalty for certain lower-level campaign finance violations from a criminal misdemeanor to a civil penalty.

Ordinance 112-2020 requires donations from LLCs to include statements that attribute the donation to specific LLC members.

The donations attributed through an LLC will then count toward individual donation limits.

Ordinance 112-2020 will also place a $100 cap on donations to political committees.

Both ordinances will become effective 10 days from the date of final passage on September 25.

Fort Collins City Council approved several campaign finance changes on September 1 that will take effect in time for the April 2021 city election.

The amendments include limits to how much individuals can contribute to limited liability corporations and political committees to support or oppose city races.

City Council voted 5-2 on the political committee and LLC contribution changes. This included votes in opposition from Mayor Wade Troxell and council member Ken Summers. In addition, council unanimously approved several other election code changes. The changes will apply to municipal elections for council seats, the mayoral race, and city ballot measures.

Current code allows LLCs to donate up to $75 to a candidate committee for a City Council member, or $100 to a committee for a mayoral candidate, which is the same limit for an individual. Because one person can be a member of multiple LLCs, people could bypass individual donation limits. This bypass could be accomplished by donating through various LLCs. Election finance records show this has happened in previous Fort Collins elections.

The amendment will bring this requirement into alignment with the state election code. The current code requires donations from LLCs to include statements that attribute the donation to specific LLC members. The donations attributed through an LLC will then count toward individual donation limits.

The political committee amendment will place a $100 cap on donations to political committees. There is currently no limit on contributions to political committees. This occurs when two or more people who come together to accept contributions or make expenditures to support or oppose one or more candidates.

The amendments will be presented for final passage on September 15.

The Colorado Legislature adjourned sine die on June 15 after an unprecedented session.

The session originally began on January 8 with a focus on school safety and funding education. On March 14, the session was postponed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

When lawmakers resumed in May, the session quickly shifted to balancing the state budget in response to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawmakers were also able to pass legislation introducing a sweeping set of reforms for law enforcement in the state.

This reform is including a ban on chokeholds and a provision requiring officers to intervene if they see the use of excessive force.

With the legislative work wrapped up, the focus is now shifting to the November election.

Gov. Jared Polis must still give his final approval on many of the bills approved in the final weeks by the state legislature.

Democratic leaders in Colorado’s General Assembly announced the temporary suspension of the legislature will continue until the day after Memorial Day on May 26.

The regular session was originally suspended on March 14 to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Colorado lawmakers said the move to resume on May 26 was to ensure additional time for preparations, including safety protocols.

Additionally, clarity on potential congressional action that could impact the state budget will be made certain.

The announcement to extend the suspension of the session took some Republican lawmakers by surprise.

Republican Sen. Paul Lundeen said lawmakers need to start weighing in and addressing critical questions facing unemployment sooner rather than later.

The Colorado General Assembly tentatively plans to return from recess on May 18.

Lawmakers set the date during an April 8 meeting at the closed Capitol.

They also indicated it may change depending on the status of the COVID-19 public health crisis.

The General Assembly has flexibility to extend the session beyond the original May 6 adjournment date.

The timeline to resume is guided by the need to finish the state budget.

The House and Senate did not put an end date on the legislative term and continue to refine the agenda for the remainder of the session.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

The Colorado House and Senate convened for one day on March 30.

However, lawmakers took different approaches to returning from the General Assembly’s COVID-19 recess.

The House recessed until Thursday, April 2.

Lawmakers in the House based their decision on the constitutional provision allowing for a three-day recess without formal agreement from both chambers.

The Senate, however, postponed indefinitely based on another interpretation.

The Senate interpretation allows the General Assembly to remain recessed without setting an exact date to reconvene.

On April 2, the House is expected to meet briefly and recess again for an unspecified period of time.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

Additionally, the General Assembly is still considered to be in regular session for purposes of restrictions on contributions from lobbyists during the session, as the General Assembly has not adjourned sine die.

Even with the Capitol closed and the legislative session suspended, Colorado lawmakers are working behind the scenes to craft legislation addressing COVID-19.

Lawmakers are considering a pay hike for Colorado National Guard members activated in response to the spread of the virus.

The Democratic majority in the House plans to prioritize continued downpayment of the debt owed to school districts.

Other conversations include how to provide immediate relief to businesses.

Industries eligible for relief include the retail and restaurant sectors, where most of the layoffs are occurring.

While the General Assembly temporarily recessed the legislative session to March 30, it is becoming increasingly unlikely the term will resume on that date.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office will suspend all in-person services beginning March 18.

The suspension will continue until further notice to protect employees and customers from the spread of COVID-19.

The office call center will be operated remotely for all divisions, including business and licensing, charities, and elections.

Individuals seeking to file paper documents at the office may now submit those documents via a drop-box.

The box will be placed outside the office’s waiting area during business hours.

State lawmakers voted on March 14 to suspend the Colorado legislature for two weeks over concerns about the coronavirus.

The decision comes after Gov. Jared Polis issued guidance against gatherings of more than 250 people.

The General Assembly, which began its session on January 8, will adjourn until March 30 in the interest of public health.

State Rep. Susan Beckman announced her resignation from House District 38 to assume a position within President Trump’s administration.

Beckman has not yet announced what position she will assume.

Her District 38 seat will be filled by a vacancy committee consisting of members representing the political party that last held the seat.

The person appointed will serve the remainder of Beckman’s term, which ends in November 2020.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office will conduct online training sessions to introduce the new lobbyist filing system enhancement.

The new filing system is pursuant to the passage of legislation effective January 1, 2020.

House Bill 1248 will require lobbyists to file notification of any new positions or position changes on new or existing legislation within 72 hours of that change.

Secretary of state staff will be available to walk through the technical aspects of how to file the new disclosure in the online system.

There will be two separate online training sessions. The first training will take place on January 6, 2020, at 9 a.m.

The second training will take place on January 7, 2020, at 11 a.m.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office hosted a proposed rulemaking hearing on November 15 concerning lobbyist regulations.

The hearing included reviewing new rules to prescribe the proper use of the electronic filing system maintained by the secretary of state.

Additionally reviewed were amendments concerning new client disclosure and disclosure requirements during the session.

Separately, the secretary of state’s lobbyist program is developing a policy manual for lobbyists.

More details regarding the manual will become available upon conclusion of the rulemaking proceeding.

The hearing began at 1 p.m. and concluded at the end of public comment.

Recall efforts against Colorado Sen. President Leroy Garcia of Senate District 3 failed on October 18.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s office deemed the petition insufficient after proponents of Garcia’s recall submitted four petition signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office.

The petition needed 13,506 signatures to recall Garcia.

Garcia was targeted for recall after voting for a bill to restrict oil and gas production in the state.