By Jeffrey A. Roberts
CFOIC Executive Director
People who tuned into Wednesday’s state budget briefings for Colorado legislative leaders saw video and slides — rather than just getting an audio feed — as part of a pilot program that goes through Oct. 31.
Colorado was the only state that didn’t provide at least some video coverage of legislative committee meetings. That changed in June when the Executive Committee of Legislative Council voted to enable video on the Sliq Technologies system that has for years allowed audio streaming of committees.
“The whole thing is a great improvement over what the legislature used to do, no question about it,” said Bart Miller, chair of the Colorado Channel Authority Board. Miller, who’s pushed for video coverage of committee meetings for several years, added that he’s glad the legislature began the pilot with Wednesday’s ultra-important presentations to the executive committee about how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act recently passed by Congress impacts Colorado.
Legislators were told they must cut $1 billion from the state budget for the current fiscal year, which began July 1. Anyone tuning in to the presentations online could see not only a wide shot of the committee but the charts and graphs that speakers were referencing. Previously, you would see nothing but an illustration of the state Capitol building under the words “Audio Only.”
“It’s very instructive to be able to see the slides as they are talking,” Miller told CFOIC. “Citizens can see exactly what the decision makers are considering as opposed to just hearing an amorphous voice in the background.” The slides also were made available on the legislature’s website.
Marianne Goodland, chief legislative reporter for Colorado Politics and dean of the state Capitol press corps, told CFOIC the video coverage is “fantastic for public accountability.”
The pilot program covers meetings held in the Old Supreme Court chambers, the Old State Library, HCR 0112, SCR 357 and Legislative Services Building hearing room A.
Legislative leaders have not committed to video streaming committee meetings during the 2026 session that starts in January. Enabling video in each committee room for the session would cost $70,000 in the first year, which includes a $20,000 one-time setup fee and a $50,000 annual fee, according to an April 11 Legislative Council memo.
Legislative Council staff is asking the public to submit feedback about the pilot by emailing them at lis.ga@coleg.gov.
CFOIC also advocated for the video livestreaming of committee meetings.
Audio recording of Colorado legislative floor and committee proceedings began in the 1960s and is mandated by the legislature’s rules. The House started live video coverage of its floor action in 2008 after extensive private fundraising for the effort by then-Speaker Andrew Romanoff. The Senate followed suit in 2010 under then-Senate President Brandon Shaffer.
The channel authority board contracts with the Open Media Foundation to provide video coverage of floor proceedings on Comcast cable channel 165, the Colorado Channel’s website and YouTube, while Legislative Council staff handle the broadcasting and recording of committee work.
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