By Jeffrey A. Roberts
CFOIC Executive Director
Nearly 9,900 people have viewed 19 legislative committee meetings since a video pilot program began July 30, the director of Legislative Council told Colorado legislative leaders Thursday.
That’s the total number of viewers, not unique views, but “a lot of participation,” said Natalie Castle, who leads the General Assembly’s nonpartisan research staff.
She added that Legislative Council has so far received only two emails, both “very positive” about the video pilot, which included the recent special session on state budget and artificial intelligence issues. However, “a lot of informal feedback” also has been “only positive” with commenters saying that they especially like the ability to see slides online as they are presented to legislative committee members.
Castle said the legislature has spent $3,500 on the video test, which uses the same Sliq Technologies system that has provided audio of legislative committee meetings. If legislative leaders decide to enable video livestreaming for the 2026 legislative session, which begins Jan. 14, it will cost $50,000 annually plus a one-time setup fee of $20,000.
Until the pilot, which is slated to go through Oct. 31, Colorado was the only state that didn’t provide at least some video coverage of legislative committee meetings.
Legislative leaders also designated Thursday’s meeting to hear public testimony about the impact of Colorado Open Meetings Law exemptions enacted for state lawmakers in 2024. However, the meeting agenda did not mention public testimony — which is required once a year under the statute — and only one person signed up.
That person, former Regional Transportation District director Natalie Menten, told the House speaker and other legislators “it was pure luck that I noticed on the (legislature’s) testimony page that there was something occurring about the open meetings law today.” She had testified earlier in the morning about Legislative Council’s election “blue book.”
Menten used most of her testimony time to praise the video pilot. “I’m thrilled and have personally benefitted from it — saved gas, saved environment, all these things because this opportunity for a pilot program was open. I’m so glad to have it and I hope it will continue. Even though I’m a fiscal hawk, we can find the money and improve our civic engagement in Colorado.”
Last year’s public hearing about the open meetings law exemptions happened on Dec. 30, and several people showed up to testify. Some called for repealing Senate Bill 24-157, which narrowed the definition of public business as it applies to the General Assembly and lets legislators communicate by email and text message without it being a “meeting” under the law.
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