Democracy Wire

May 11th marked the last day of the 2016 legislative session in Colorado. Over the last 180 days, nearly 700 bills were introduced and debated. We worked on dozens of bills to protect voting rights, reduce the influence of money in politics, and strengthen transparency and government accountability.

The Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) should allow anyone to view any public record that includes information such as public funds, city ordinances, or government spending. So, how how do you request a public record and what is the process once you submit the request?

On Monday March 14th, HB 16-1259 was passed 11-0 by Colorado House Education Committee. The bill expands the membership of board of trustees for a local district college and details how a local district college can take action without holding regular or special meetings. This second part is what most interests us at Colorado Common Cause.

An undergraduate student shares her first experiences with the state legislative process.

Yep, we’re up there at the State Capitol too, alongside lobbyists for every industry and interest you can think of. When the legislative session kicks off, our legislators will tackle many issues, including some that directly impact Coloradans’ ability to participate in democracy. Here are a few issues that may come up:

The four months fellowship under Community Solutions Program (CSP) sponsored by US Department of State and my host organization Colorado Common Cause (CCC) has given me the opportunity to do some research on governance and its derivatives for developing community to ensure their rights and wellbeing. Colorado Common Cause works on government accountability through citizens’ participation in public decision-making to hold governments accountable. CCC believes instead of thinking of government as an "other," it should reflect the wishes of citizens. Just as we're all accountable to friends, family and colleagues, government must be accountable to citizens.