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Open and Accountable Government
Coloradans need a strong, independent body to monitor and enforce public ethics.
Ethics & Accountability
Public officials should act in all of our interest, not to line their own pockets. Common Cause is fighting to ensure that all of our leaders are held to high ethical standards.
From city councils to the U.S. Congress and the Supreme Court, the people making decisions that affect our lives and our families need to be held to the highest ethical standards. Common Cause works to ensure that those empowered to act on everyone’s behalf disclose their personal finances, uphold the rule of law, and cannot turn their public service into a personal profit scheme.
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Your financial support helps us make an impact by holding power accountable and strengthening democracy.
Updates
Blog Post
Democracy Requires Transparency in Policing
Our Colorado Democracy Intern, Ashley, shares her insights on transparency in policing.
Blog Post
Independent Ethics Commission Proposed Rules
The Independent Ethics Commission is the institution charged with providing guidance and enforcement of Colorado's ethics laws. Colorado Common Cause recently submitted this public comment on the Commission's proposed rules. We have strong concerns that the new rules will allow the Commission to operate with unprecedented secrecy outside of Colorado's Open Records Act and Open Meetings Law. We urge the Commission to promulgate new rules that more closely align with Colorado's open-government laws.
Blog Post
Strengthening Democracy: Campaign Finance Reform in Aurora
Press
News Clip
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold Announces Formation of Working Group on Lobbying
Denver, July 1, 2019 - Today, Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced the formation of the Working Group on Lobbying, an advisory body comprised of interested stakeholders to exchange views and make recommendations regarding upgrades to the electronic lobbyist filing system and lobbyist transparency regulations. The Lobbyist Transparency Act, passed by the Colorado Legislature in 2019, requires the Secretary of State to convene a Working Group on Lobbying.
News Clip
Colorado Independent: Polis says he’ll sign police transparency bill — to watchdogs’ relief
Advocates for government accountability were alarmed to learn Gov. Jared Polis was undecided on whether to veto a bill to expand police transparency in Colorado.
But Polis spokeswoman Maria De Cambra set the record straight late Wednesday.
“We’re not going to veto the bill,” she said. “It will be signed.”
The signing is slated for 10:50 a.m. Friday at the Capitol, and it will be open to media, De Cambra said.
The bill — HB-1119, sponsored by Democratic Denver Rep. James Coleman...
But Polis spokeswoman Maria De Cambra set the record straight late Wednesday.
“We’re not going to veto the bill,” she said. “It will be signed.”
The signing is slated for 10:50 a.m. Friday at the Capitol, and it will be open to media, De Cambra said.
The bill — HB-1119, sponsored by Democratic Denver Rep. James Coleman...
News Clip
Colorado Independent: When Colorado cops police themselves, the public can be left in the dark
A Denver legislator's bill would make closed internal investigation files subject to open-records requests. The effort has an array of supporters, including the ACLU and Colorado Common Cause, the libertarian Independence Institute and media groups such as the Colorado Broadcasters Association, the Colorado Press Association and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.