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.

Recall efforts against Sen. Pete Lee of Senate District 11 failed on September 10.

Similar recall efforts have recently targeted Senate President Leroy Garcia of Senate District 3.

Proponents of Lee’s recall notified the Secretary of State’s Office that they would not submit the recall petition signatures required by 5 p.m. September 10.

The petition needed 11,304 signatures to recall Lee, who was targeted for sponsoring legislation to create a paid family and medical leave program to be funded by a mandatory fee on businesses and employees.

Garcia, who won his reelection in November with more than 70% of the vote, was targeted for recall after voting for a bill to restrict oil and gas production in Colorado.

If proponents for Garcia’s recall gather 13,506 signatures by the petition deadline of October 18, the effort will trigger a special election that could be held in District 3 in early 2020.

A coalition of Coloradans failed to collect enough signatures to force a special election to recall Gov. Jared Polis.

The leaders of the recall announced they fell short of the 631,266 signatures needed by the recall petition deadline of the end of the day on September 6 .

There were approximately 300,000 total signatures counted.

The City Council unanimously passed Ordinance 2019-26, instituting several major changes to city ethics law.

The ordinance establishes an ethics board, to be staffed by an independent panel of retired judges, to investigate potential violations and conflicts of interests.

Additionally, the ordinance bars gifts to city councilmembers valued over $300

Local lawmakers are considering an ordinance requiring lobbyists working in Aurora to register and report expenditures in excess of $75.

At-large councilwoman Angela Lawson, who is also the Lobbyist Registration Program Manager for the secretary of state, first introduced the proposal to a city policy committee in October 2018.

If passed, lobbyists would be required to begin registering at the beginning of 2020.

City Council discussed the proposal during the council’s special study session on July 22.

The ordinance has not yet been brought forward for official action.

The date to move forward to a regular council meeting has not been set.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s Office approved petitions to collect signatures for the recall of Gov. Jared Polis and Sen. Pete Lee of Senate District 11.

More than 600,000 signatures are needed by September 6 to force a recall election for Polis.

According to the recall statement of grounds, the petition for recall is sought against Polis for his support of legislation involving oil and gas regulation and sexual education dissemination, among others.

More than 11,000 signatures are needed by September 10 to force a recall election for Lee.

According to the recall statement of grounds, the petition for recall is sought against Lee in part for sponsoring legislation to create a paid family and medical leave program to be funded by a mandatory tax on businesses and employees.

The Secretary of State will host a rulemaking hearing on July 24 concerning the Colorado Campaign and Political Finance Rules.

The revised draft of 8 C.C.R. §1505-6 is available at 20190709_CPF_RevStmBasis.pdf.

A recording of the hearing will be posted and available on the Secretary of State’s website.

Gov. Jared Polis signed The Clean Campaign Act of 2019 into law on May 29, increasing disclosure of political spending.

House Bill 1318 extends existing restrictions barring a foreign corporation from making independent expenditures.

Restrictions now include a natural person who is not a citizen of the United States or a foreign government.

The bill expands existing disclaimer requirements by requiring a disclaimer to include communication placed on a website, streaming media service, or an online forum for a fee, or that is otherwise distributed.

Additionally, the bill ensures that corporations spending money on ballot initiatives disclose that they paid for the communication.

The bill took effect upon the governor’s signature.

Gov. Jared Polis signed the Lobbyist Transparency Act into law on May 20, shining new light on the disclosure requirements of lobbyists and their clients.

House Bill 1248 increases transparency by stopping attorneys registered as professional lobbyists from asserting confidentiality in order to conceal client information and lobbying activity.

The bill provides that when the general assembly is in regular or special session, a professional lobbyist must notify the secretary of state within 72 hours of agreeing to lobby in connection with new legislation or taking a new position on a new or existing bill for a new or existing client.

Additionally, the bill instructs the secretary of state to form a working group to upgrade the electronic filing system in order to ease the use of data reported and to increase overall transparency.

The secretary of state must convene the working group no later than July 1, and the group must meet at least once before December 31.

The Elections Division of the Secretary of State’s Office approved a petition on May 13 to collect signatures to recall Rep. Tom Sullivan in House District 37.

More than 10,000 signatures are needed by July 12 to force a recall election for Sullivan’s replacement.

Former Rep. Rochelle Galindo was also facing a recall election but resigned on May 12.

A Democratic vacancy committee will name Galindo’s replacement.

The 72nd Colorado General Assembly adjourned sine die on May 3 after 120 legislative days.

During the session, House Bill 1007 passed creating contribution limits under the Fair Campaign Practices Act for county office candidates.

Additionally, Senate Bill 68 passed expanding disclosure of electioneering communications.

The last day for the governor to act on bills for the 2019 session is June 2, 2019.

The General Assembly is scheduled to reconvene on January 8, 2020.

Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill 1007, creating contribution limits under the Fair Campaign Practices Act for county office candidates.

Current campaign finance law does not set limits on contributions to candidates for county office.

The bill defines county office as a county commissioner, county clerk and recorder, sheriff, corner, treasurer, assessor, or surveyor.

The maximum aggregate contributions a person may make to a candidate for county office under the bill includes $1,250 for the primary election and $1,250 for the general election.

Additionally, small donor committees may contribute $12,500 in the primary election and $12,500 in the general election.

The bill will take effect August 2, provided adjournment sine die of the General Assembly is on May 3, 2019.

If, however, a referendum petition is filed, the bill would not take effect unless approved by voters in the November 2020 general election.

Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 68 on April 1, expanding disclosure of electioneering communications.

For purposes of campaign finance disclosure, the bill expands the definition of electioneering communication in the Fair Campaign Practices Act to include any communication that is broadcast, printed, mailed, delivered, or distributed between the primary election and the general election.

The bill also requires any person who expends $1,000 or more per calendar year on electioneering communications or regular biennial school electioneering communications to state in the communication the name of the person making the communication in accordance with existing statutory requirements for communication constituting an independent expenditure.

The bill will take effect on August 2, provided adjournment sine die of the General Assembly is on May 3.

If, however, a referendum petition is filed against the bill, the bill would not take effect unless approved in the November 2020 general election.