Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced her campaign finance policy priorities in front of the Colorado House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee at the January 17 committee hearing.

Shedding light on secret political spending, Griswold’s policy agenda calls for stronger disclosure by expanding the “paid for by” disclosure requirements on political advertisements and exercising the Secretary of State’s audit and enforcement power to act on campaign finance, ballot access and lobbyist violations.

Griswold’s agenda also seeks to prevent potential candidates from raising unchecked and uncapped contributions into “independent” committees and ensure that independent expenditure and other committees can be held accountable for campaign finance violations.

Additionally, Griswold seeks to end the influence of powerful interest groups and lobbyists over candidates and elected officials through contributions to political entities.

Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams announced changes to the state’s campaign and political finance rules.

The amendments concern the reporting, use, and transfer of a candidate committee’s unexpended funds.

The rule changes are temporarily effective December 3 and will become permanently effective on December 23.

Jared Polis blew a victorious horn on November 6, 2018, as he claimed an historic win as Colorado’s governor over his opponent Walker Stapleton.

Polis became Colorado’s first Jewish governor and the first openly gay man elected to lead any U.S. State.

Colorado Governor-elect Polis emerged on stage alongside his running mate Dianne Primavera during a Democratic watch party in downtown Denver.

Polis succeeds the outgoing Democrat John Hickenlooper.

A majority of city voters endorsed Measure 2E, banning corporations and labor organizations from donating directly to political campaigns for city offices and lowering the cap on donations for mayor, City Council, and other government posts.

Beginning January 1, 2020, mayoral candidates will be prohibited from accepting more than $1,000 per donor, as opposed to $3,000.

Individual donations for at-large council members will drop from $2,000 to $700, and donations to district candidates will be capped at $400 instead of $1,000.

Colorado voters defeated Amendment 75, keeping campaign spending limits in place.

Amendment 75 would have allowed candidates to accept five times the level of individual contributions to their campaign as is normally allowed ($1,150 for statewide offices and $400 for local races) if another candidate submitted $1 million or more to his or her own campaign or to a third-party committee.

Only about 33 percent of voters supported the measure. The amendment needed 55 percent of votes to pass.

Secretary of State Wayne Williams scheduled a rulemaking hearing on November 14 to consider amendments to the state’s campaign and political finance laws.

The proposed amendments would affect a candidate committee’s management of unexpended campaign funds as well as the Elections Division’s review of written complaints.

If changes are made prior to the hearing, a revised copy of the proposed rules will be available no later than November 9.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office cleared and certified Initiative 173 for the November 6 general election ballot.

The ballot measure proposes amending the state constitution regarding campaign contribution limits.

If passed, candidates in a race may accept contributions from individuals that are five times the rate authorized in the state constitution if at least one candidate loans or contributes $1 million to his or her own campaign, to a committee to support or oppose any candidate in the same election, or to any committee to influence the candidate’s own election.

The Denver City Council approved a ballot initiative proposing the creation of a dedicated fund to match campaign donations of up to $50 per donor to candidates participating in the program.

The measure also requires public disclosure of all campaign spending, lowers contribution limits, and eliminates campaign contributions from corporations or labor organizations.

The ballot measure will be decided by voters in a special election held concurrently with the general election on November 6. If passed, the ordinance is effective January 1, 2020.

Colorado lobbyist rule changes were effective June 30. Much of the changes involve recodification to ensure uniform and proper administration and implementation of state law.

Such changes clarify professional lobbyist and lobbyist firm registration and disclosure requirements as well as add or amend several lobbying definitions.

Effective January 1, 2019, a professional lobbyist must also log by date all position changes (monitoring, oppose, or support) on a bill and must file a monthly log contemporaneously with each monthly disclosure statement.

The Colorado secretary of state adopted new campaign finance rules today in response to a federal court ruling issued last week.

Judge Raymond Moore struck down provisions of state law allowing private citizens to file complaints. Until the ruling, all complaints received a hearing without review for merit.

New enforcement mechanisms provide for initial review of complaints and an opportunity to cure violations prior to investigation and enforcement.

Substantive requirements of state campaign finance law were not affected.

Pictured: Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams

Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams is considering amendments to the state’s campaign finance rules.

A new rule would allow committees to accept contributions in the form of cryptocurrency up to the limits for cash or coin contributions.

The value of such contributions would be the value of the cryptocurrency at the time the contributions are made.

Prior to issuing the proposed draft, the Secretary of State’s office is seeking public comments to identify potential revisions and additional guidance. Comments must be submitted by May 23.

The 2018 session of the Colorado General Assembly adjourned sine die on Wednesday, May 9.

During the four-month session, lawmaker achievements included advancing bipartisan anti-gerrymandering legislation, protecting the state Civil Rights Division, and securing investments in transportation, education, and healthcare.

The next legislative session will convene January 4, 2019.

The Colorado Secretary of State will host a rulemaking hearing on April 16 regarding proposed changes to lobbyist regulations. A copy of the revised draft is available online at the Secretary of State’s website.

Proposed changes include, but are not limited to, amending and adding lobbying definitions, clarification of professional lobbyist and lobbyist firm registration and disclosure requirements, and recodification to ensure uniform and proper administration and implementation of state law.

Written comments regarding the proposed draft may be submitted any time before and during the hearing.

The Colorado General Assembly will vote Friday on whether to expel a lawmaker; such a vote will be the first in more than a century.

Democratic state Rep. Steve Lebsock is facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct. House Majority Leader KC Becker determined the allegations both serious and egregious in nature, demonstrating a pattern of inappropriate behavior.

Each chamber is permitted, per the state Constitution, to remove any member from office for bad behavior. Removal will require support from at least 44 of the 65 legislators in the House.