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    This letter from several open government and media organizations thanks Colorado legislative leaders for ensuring public access to the legislative process during the fall 2020 special session during the COVID-19 pandemic. It urges continuing remote testimony options and preserving floor access for journalists. The letter also provides recommendations to improve transparency, including adhering to open meetings laws, improving audio quality of remote participation, integrating video into committee hearings if feasible, promptly posting recordings and testimony from committees.

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    Letter to both chambers from media outlets wishing for more access amid COVID restrictions

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    This letter from several open government and media organizations thanks Colorado legislative leaders for ensuring public access to the legislative process during the fall 2020 special session during the COVID-19 pandemic. It urges continuing remote testimony options and preserving floor access for journalists. The letter also provides recommendations to improve transparency, including adhering to open meetings laws, improving audio quality of remote participation, integrating video into committee hearings if feasible, promptly posting recordings and testimony from committees.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Download as pdf or txt
    1K views2 pages

    Legislature Access

    Uploaded by

    Simply Sherrie
    This letter from several open government and media organizations thanks Colorado legislative leaders for ensuring public access to the legislative process during the fall 2020 special session during the COVID-19 pandemic. It urges continuing remote testimony options and preserving floor access for journalists. The letter also provides recommendations to improve transparency, including adhering to open meetings laws, improving audio quality of remote participation, integrating video into committee hearings if feasible, promptly posting recordings and testimony from committees.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    of 2

    2101 Arapahoe St.

    Denver, CO 80205
    720-274-7177
    [email protected]
    @CoFOIC on Twitter
    The Voice for Open Government in Colorado

    Jan. 15, 2021

    Speaker Alec Garnett


    Senate President Leroy Garcia
    House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar
    Senate Majority Leader Stephen Fenberg
    House Minority Leader Hugh McKean
    Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert
    Colorado State Capitol
    200 E. Colfax Ave.
    Denver, CO 80203

    Dear Speaker Garnett, President Garcia, Majority Leader Esgar, Majority Leader Fenberg, Minority
    Leader McKean and Minority Leader Holbert:

    We, the undersigned organizations, want to thank you and other legislative leaders for taking
    steps during the fall 2020 special session to ensure public and journalist access to the legislative
    process at a time when many Coloradans do not feel safe appearing in person at the state Capitol.
    Adding a mechanism for remote testimony during committee hearings afforded interest groups
    and individual Coloradans all over the state essential opportunities to express their views on
    proposed legislation during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and we urge the General
    Assembly to continue offering remote testimony for every committee of reference during the
    2021 session. Additionally, journalists appreciated the preservation of at least limited floor access
    to each chamber and we ask that this same access continue.

    We also ask you to consider the following observations and recommendations regarding
    transparency and public/journalist access to the legislative process, both during the session and
    when lawmakers are not in session.

     Reporters have learned about “working groups” involving multiple legislators that met via
    Zoom or other conferencing platforms prior to the special session. Please be mindful of, and
    adhere to, the letter and spirit of the Colorado Open Meetings Law, which deems all
    meetings of two or more members of a state public body “open to the public at all times”
    when those meetings pertain to public business. We ask you to notify journalists and the
    public of such working-group meetings (including meetings that take place in person) and
    allow contemporaneous access to them. Posting recordings of these meetings on the
    General Assembly’s website also would ensure a transparent process.

     As you know, it was difficult at times for reporters and the public to hear and understand

    Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition | www.coloradofoic.org | [email protected]


    remote testimony and remote participation by legislators during the special session and a
    recent Legislative Audit Committee meeting. Please do whatever is technically feasible to
    ensure that speakers can be understood and clearly identified by listeners.

     We encourage you to integrate video into the legislature’s system for online monitoring of
    committee hearings, like the Colorado Channel system for floor sessions, if doing so is
    feasible. A video feed would help broadcast new outlets adequately cover committee
    hearings and make it easier for everyone to clearly identify anyone speaking via the WebEx
    conferencing platform.

     Please archive recordings of committee hearings as quickly as possible.

     Please post written public testimony on the legislature’s website so that journalists and the
    public do not need to file Colorado Open Records Act requests to obtain copies.

    Thank you for your consideration of these matters.

    Respectfully,

    Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition


    Colorado Capitol Press Association
    Colorado Press Association
    Colorado Broadcasters Association
    Colorado News Collaborative
    Society of Professional Journalists – Colorado Pro Chapter
    Colorado Common Cause

    Contact:
    Jeff Roberts, Executive Director, Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition
    [email protected]
    720-274-7177

    Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition | www.coloradofoic.org | [email protected]

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