The Assembly session starts tomorrow. Below is a guide for how to navigate their website, a bill page, and where to find info on how to speak up.
Let's start talking about the Colorado Assembly.
First, a quick update. The Colorado Democrats, per a recent judge's ruling, can no longer use their secret quadratic voting system.
A Denver judge recently found that the secret votes violated Colorado's open meetings laws. This comes in following a recent settlement and consent decree that prevents other hidden shenanigans by Assembly members (see my earlier posts on that--it was the lawsuit about using disappearing text message apps and etc.).
More details in the link below.
Court rules ‘secret voting’ system used by state Democrats violates Colorado open meetings law | Colorado Public Radio (cpr.org)
Let's stay on the Assembly for two more. This post will cover (as a review if you know or a lesson if you're new) how to make the most of a bill's web page.
Your first stop on any look at what the Assembly is doing ought to be the first link below (open it and bookmark if it you'd like). This is hub of the wheel: starting here let's you go out in any number of directions depending on what you'd like to do.
Take a look at screenshot 1 for some examples. I circled the various links I have found useful in a variety of colors. If you want to know who to write to for your senator or rep, use the blue. Want to look up a bill but don't know all the details? Use the red. Want to sign up to testify on something? Use the black. Digging into the budget or want to check on the results or progress of an audit? Use the green and purple.
Let's not stray too much, though and look at a bill's webpage. I found a random bill that was first on the list from the last Assembly session and linked it below.
I attached a screenshot of the bill's upper page as screenshot 2. Again, the things that I find most useful are the bill's title (in red--I find it useful because it's the easiest way to find the bill again later in a search engine if need be, typing something like "Colorado HB23-1068").
On the right, in blue are the sponsors of the bill (clicking on their names will link to their legislator page with their email, office number, other bills that this person is sponsoring) and the committee links (clicking here will take you to the committee page so you can see who is sitting on the committee and get to their contact info, and also a schedule so you can see when the bill you're interested in is coming up).
Lastly, along the bottom in black is the link you click to get to the bill's fiscal note. The bill's original language is handy sometimes, as is the summary above this link, but if you have time to read just one thing, read the fiscal note. This is a plain language summary of what the bill will do and how much the nonpartisan Assembly staff estimate it will cost. It's the easiest, fastest way to get a rundown on the bill.
Turning to the last screenshot, screenshot 3, you'll see the bottom half of the bill's page. There's a lot here that I have used (for example, in looking up when Polis signed a bill), but the most useful thing here to me is the bill history I circled in red.
Clicking there tells you where the bill has been and where it's going. When a bill is in process, as opposed to a signed bill where the history is static as it is for this bill, you'll see the bill introduced, when it is in committee, when it's out, what chamber it's in, what chamber and committee it's headed to, etc. In other words, this link is the fastest way to know where to direct your attention if you're planning to follow it or speak up.
I hope this bill intro was helpful, please add questions to the comments if you have a specific query I didn't cover. I can't promise I know, but I can promise that I know lots of smart people and that I'll try my best to get us both an answer.
Colorado General Assembly |
Pet Animal Ownership In Housing | Colorado General Assembly
Last post on the Assembly, this time pointing you to where you can sign up to speak up.
Screenshot 1 attached shows you where you start. Click on the link there and choose "Public Testimony Options" from the drop down menu. That will take you to the page linked below.
From here, I'll refer you to the good resources that the Assembly already has on how to sign up for a variety of types of testimony. I circled those in screenshot 2 attached; they are easy to access guides with videos and all the related links you'd need.
What I want to close on are some general tips and thoughts that I have come to having done this more than a few times now.
--We are all busy, but please take the time to do as much testimony by voice as possible. If you can get to the capitol, you are my hero. If you are like me and it's not feasible due to your location, please don't let that stop you. The next best thing is to testify remotely. Legislators do read emails (sometimes) but there is nothing like making them sit and listen to you while you tell them what you think. Whether in person or over the internet, your voice has more impact.
--Do not let the fact that you can't testify in person or remotely stop you from doing anything. If all you can do is send an email to the committee members and sponsors do. It's not nothing after all, and you never know when the spark you send out may set something off. I have had it be the case that legislators have read my emails into the record if there is no one else around who is giving voice, say, in opposition to a bill.
--If you do choose to email, don't send it through the Assembly's public testimony link. Make an email yourself using legislator pages and email links. I'm open to other's thoughts on this, but this is my preferred method since I think the probability that it will be read is higher.
--If you are like me and have a regular telephone and no access to a computer to testify at hearings, DO NOT FEAR and DO NOT LET THIS STOP YOU. Every year I testify by my plain old flip phone with no problems. If you are wanting to testify and have only a plain phone, let me know and I'll share the process.
--A word of encouragement. Let's acknowledge reality and admit that the process is sometimes disheartening and we all know that all too often the committee hearings are a dog and pony show. I'd say two things to that. ACTING is the best thing you can do to lower your own frustration and blood pressure; it works wonders for me. And, two, you never know when a word (written or spoken) will land like a seed on fertile soil. Doing nothing is the surest way to make sure nothing happens. Speak up even if it feels pointless. When you do it, you will be glad you did, no matter the outcome.
As always, if I can help or answer questions, do not hesitate. When people ask me why it is I take so much time out of my life to do this, the answer is that I hope to get others involved (whether we agree on everything or no).
One of the best ways that people have said "thank you" to me without our ever corresponding is when they speak up at hearings and write emails.
www2.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2023A/commsumm.nsf/signIn.xsp