Frank: Five ways to improve government transparency in Colorado

From The Denver Post: John Reynolds died in police custody in Olathe after the 25-year-old stabbed himself with a letter opener and an officer Tased him multiple times before handcuffing him.

Colorado State University awarded 124 employees pay hikes that topped 10 percent even though roughly half their employees received raises closer to 2 percent.

Rocky Mountain Human Services, a Denver nonprofit that serves people with disabilities, misspent millions of dollars and provided employees annual Costco memberships for personal use.

And Adams County paid a $250,000 combined severance to three former district attorney’s office employees after they resigned.

In all four situations, Colorado officials initially hid the details from the public — abetted by inadequate state laws regarding government transparency.

Some particulars in those cases remain concealed. And many other important matters of public concern — whether disciplinary records for troubled cops or the prevalence of psychotropic drugs given to foster children — are  shrouded in secrecy.

It’s no wonder the nonprofit Center for Public Integrity gave Colorado an F grade for its open-records laws.

The dire state of transparency in Colorado government is leading to an inflection point — one that demands a significant remake of the sunshine laws, if not a constitutional fix to ensure the accountability of the government to the people.

Riddled with major holes, the law’s problems are exacerbated by obstruction from government officials that often prevents the public from accessing what it is entitled to see under the Colorado Open Records Act and the Criminal Justice Records Act.

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