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 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 Colorado Secretary of State temporarily adopted lobbyist rules 8 C.C.R. 1505-8 on March 1, defining and establishing new requirements for redistricting commission lobbyists.

The new rules define redistricting commission lobbyist as a person who is contracted or compensated to communicate directly or indirectly with a member of a redistricting commission for the purposes of aiding or influencing such redistricting commission or their staff. Additionally, the rules require those who are registered as professional lobbyists to electronically register as a redistricting commission lobbyist and disclose all clients that contract with or compensate them.

The secretary of state also issued a notice of rulemaking to consider permanent adoption of the temporary rules.

The virtual public rulemaking hearing is scheduled for April 19 at 3 p.m.

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.

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.

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 Colorado Secretary of State adopted new campaign contribution limits pursuant to Rule 10.17.

The adjusted limits include $625 per election to candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, and state treasurer from political committees or individuals.

Limits also include $2,675 per election to candidates for state Legislature, state Board of Education, University of Colorado regent, and district attorney from small donor committees.

The new limits are effective March 29.

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.

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 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

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.