The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and multiple other groups and individuals sent the following letter to Legislative Council, the General Assembly’s nonpartisan staff, on Monday, Sept. 22:
Dear Legislative Council,
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, enthusiastically urge the Colorado General Assembly to continue providing online video coverage of legislative committee meetings during and beyond the 2026 session.
As we expected, the livestreaming pilot project conducted this summer and fall demonstrates there is public interest in, and support for, enhancing Coloradans’ ability to follow the business of the legislature — with preliminary data showing 9,900 people watching online from July 30 to September 4.
In 2008, when then-House Speaker Andrew Romanoff led the groundbreaking effort to provide video broadcasts of House floor proceedings, he said the goal was “to make Colorado’s government the most transparent, the most accountable, the most citizen-friendly in America.”
We’re excited to see Colorado’s General Assembly make more progress toward that goal by joining other state legislatures that provide video coverage of committee meetings.
Enabling video on the system that provides committee-meeting audio is a cost-efficient way to make the legislature more accessible and more accountable to Coloradans.
Video can make it easier for people to follow committee testimony as well as statements made by committee members, especially when speakers aren’t identified. Video provides context, allowing observers to see who is present and to gauge the emotions and reactions of lawmakers and others in the room. When people can watch the legislative process, they can better understand the legislative process, and that can foster more civic engagement.
Thank you for launching the pilot program. Please make video livestreaming a permanent feature of all legislative committee meetings.
Respectfully,
Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition
National Freedom of Information Coalition
Independence Institute
Colorado Broadcasters Association
Colorado Press Association
League of Women Voters of Colorado
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Colorado Common Cause
American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado
Colorado Cross Disability Coalition
Disability Law Colorado
Colorado News Collaborative
Denver Press Club
Colorado Press Women
Colorado Public Radio
Denver Business Journal
KUSA-TV
Colorado Auto Dealers Association
Colorado Lobbyists Association
Bart Miller, Colorado Channel Authority Board chair
Marianne Goodland, capitol press corps dean and Colorado Politics chief legislative reporter
Cory Gaines
Jack Wylie
Jason Salzman, Colorado Times Recorder editor
Natalie Menten
Jessica Capsel, Pro-Colorado Education Project
TABOR Foundation board of directors
Colorado Union of Taxpayers board of directors
Brandon Wark, Free State Colorado
Kim Monson, The Kim Monson Show
Rebecca Sopkin
