{"id":228,"date":"2026-05-12T14:04:48","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228"},"modified":"2026-05-12T14:04:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T14:04:48","slug":"colorado-lawmakers-want-more-lobbying-transparency-from-the-next-governor-could-polis-could-stand-in-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228","title":{"rendered":"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…<\/strong><\/div>\n
\n

After nearly eight years working with Gov. Jared Polis, Colorado lawmakers are looking to reset their relationship with the governor\u2019s office \u2014 and require future governors to be more transparent in how they exert influence over the legislative process.<\/p>\n

Read more Complete guide to metro Denver 2026 farmers markets<\/a><\/p>\n

They just have to get past Polis first.<\/p>\n

Ninety-two of the Capitol\u2019s 100 legislators voted for Senate Bill 147, which is now headed for an almost-certain veto by the term-limited governor. Among other things, the bill would require state employees who work as lobbyists for the governor and lieutenant governor to formally register with the Colorado Secretary of State\u2019s Office and disclose their positions on bills \u2014 just as private lobbyists are required to do.<\/p>\n

The bill was proposed as a direct reaction to Polis. Some lawmakers in the Democrat-controlled General Assembly have wanted to bring the bill for years in response to the Democratic governor\u2019s hands-on approach to the legislature, which has included frequent veto threats and direct lobbying to amend bills.<\/p>\n

The measure would also require the legislative liaisons for state agencies to publicly disclose their positions on each bill they weigh in on.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was born out of frustration, a universal experience among most of us,\u201d said Rep. Meg Froelich, an Englewood Democrat sponsoring the bill.<\/p>\n

Polis\u2019 efforts in the Capitol have been unusual, she and other lawmakers said. Previous governors \u2014 some of whom had split or opposing partisan control in the legislature \u2014 were not nearly as engaged in lawmaking as Polis has been. His office \u201chas been known to pull people out of committees ahead of a vote, and there\u2019s a lot of stuff happening 15 minutes, 20 minutes before you\u2019re going into committee or a vote. So this is born from that experience, when you\u2019re caught unawares,\u201d Froelich said.<\/p>\n

Private lobbying already holds significant sway over the legislature in the Capitol, where lobbyists often have more experience in the building than lawmakers themselves because of Colorado\u2019s term limits. That effect is magnified with Polis, who can veto any bill he dislikes. To survive veto threats, lawmakers frequently rewrite or abandon bills altogether \u2014 even before the annual session begins.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

This year alone, Polis\u2019 opposition has prompted changes to legislation regulating 3D-printed guns and immigration enforcement. His veto threat also prompted lawmakers to kill another measure that would\u2019ve closed some corporate tax cuts and directed the new revenue to a tax credit for working families.<\/p>\n

Froelich said that if Polis is known to oppose a bill, some lawmakers will shift their votes to align with him.<\/p>\n

But that opposition is often not made public.<\/p>\n

Rep. Dusty Johnson, a Fort Morgan Republican who\u2019s also sponsoring the state lobbyists measure, said lawmakers were frustrated about being \u201cplayed like a puppet.\u201d She said the first floor \u2014 shorthand for Polis\u2019 office, which is located on one level below the legislative chambers in the Capitol \u2014 had not always been transparent in its position on bills.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Sen. Lisa Cutter, a Jefferson County Democrat and another sponsor, said the proposal was ultimately about transparency. She recounted negotiations that helped shape bills, only for them still to meet a veto once Polis officially weighed in. She\u2019s also faced criticism from constituents upset that a bill was watered down \u2014 but with no record revealing that changes were made at the behest of the governor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe governor, they talk about being coequal branches. And that\u2019s technically true, but does anyone really think that we have as much power as the governor?\u201d Cutter said. \u201c\u2026 \u00a0And I think there\u2019s the general feeling that this governor has weighed in a lot on policy, instead of being more of an executive branch.\u201d<\/p>\n

She said the bill was about \u201cwanting to balance it out a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Polis\u2019 posture inspired SB-147, he\u2019s unlikely to ever be subject to its requirements.<\/p>\n

First, he will leave office early next year, before the next regular legislative session begins. Lawmakers said his departure gave them a chance for the legislature to reset its relationship with the first floor \u2014 and avoid letting Polis\u2019 approach become the precedent for future governors.<\/p>\n

Read more Today in History: May 12, SS Mayaguez seized by Khmer Rouge soldiers<\/a><\/p>\n

The second reason is that Polis appears certain to veto the bill.<\/p>\n

In a statement, spokesman Eric Maruyama said that the governor would be more open to SB-147 if lawmakers \u201cheld themselves to the same standards as defined in the bill.\u201d (Because lawmakers vote, oftentimes repeatedly, on legislation, their positions are recorded publicly.)<\/p>\n

\u201cStaff members in the Governor\u2019s office are not registered lobbyists, and it would be absurd to have them treated the same way when legislators are not,\u201d Maruyama wrote in a statement. \u201cThe Governor\u2019s Office always works with any legislators in good faith, most commonly in an informational capacity. This is a clear attempt to limit (future governors\u2019) ability to meaningfully participate in the legislative process, and to curb the decision-making authority of any future governor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Polis\u2019 office also provided a list characterizing how state legislatures elsewhere regulate lobbyists, arguing that SB-147 would put Colorado out of step with other states. Many of the states exempt government officials from lobby requirements.<\/p>\n

Theoretically, the bill has enough legislative support to override a veto, but the clock is quickly running down on the legislative session. Had lawmakers acted more quickly, they could\u2019ve passed SB-147 with enough time to override a veto before the session ends Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

But the bill\u2019s journey through the House went slowly \u2014 and the window to override a potential Polis veto before the session ended slammed shut.<\/p>\n

The House\u2019s top two Democratic leaders, Speaker Julie McCluskie and Majority Leader Monica Duran, were the only two House lawmakers to oppose the bill \u2014 and they also hold scheduling sway over legislation moving through their chamber.<\/p>\n

Duran said she hadn\u2019t factored the veto clock into her thinking and was focused on efficiently moving bills through the House.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, just like right now, (it\u2019s about) what\u2019s coming out, what is ready \u2014 because we have six days left,\u201d she said last week, citing the days then remaining. \u201cSo, I\u2019m always looking at it through a different purview than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She and McCluskie said they had concerns about SB-147\u2019s impact on the Colorado Judicial Department. The measure would also have required more transparency around lobbyists for that agency.<\/p>\n

Johnson said she\u2019s unsure if she\u2019ll bring the bill back next year, should Polis reject it. Froelich, who is term-limited and won\u2019t return to the House in 2027, said some other lawmakers have discussed reviving the bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I said, it\u2019s an opportunity to turn the page and have a different relationship,\u201d she said. \u201cA more transparent one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more Evacuations lifted for wildfire near Carter Lake west of Loveland<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Colorado lawmakers, wary after eight years of Gov. Jared Polis’ hands-on approach to legislating, are hoping to reset their relationship with the next governor by requiring more lobbying transparency.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":227,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nColorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way? - Colorado Springs Moverss<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way? - Colorado Springs Moverss\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Colorado lawmakers, wary after eight years of Gov. Jared Polis' hands-on approach to legislating, are hoping to reset their relationship with the next governor by requiring more lobbying transparency.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Colorado Springs Moverss\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-05-12T14:04:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"694\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c\"},\"headline\":\"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-12T14:04:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228\"},\"wordCount\":1180,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"News\",\"Politics\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228\",\"name\":\"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way? - Colorado Springs Moverss\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-05-12T14:04:48+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/05\\\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":694},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?p=228#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Colorado Springs Moverss\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way? - Colorado Springs Moverss","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way? - Colorado Springs Moverss","og_description":"Colorado lawmakers, wary after eight years of Gov. Jared Polis' hands-on approach to legislating, are hoping to reset their relationship with the next governor by requiring more lobbying transparency.","og_url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228","og_site_name":"Colorado Springs Moverss","article_published_time":"2026-05-12T14:04:48+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":694,"url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c"},"headline":"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way?","datePublished":"2026-05-12T14:04:48+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228"},"wordCount":1180,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp","articleSection":["News","Politics"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228","url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228","name":"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way? - Colorado Springs Moverss","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp","datePublished":"2026-05-12T14:04:48+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/5d15475aa159a0a3e1f9420c302d26f1.webp","width":1024,"height":694},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=228#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Colorado lawmakers want more lobbying transparency from the next governor. Could Polis could stand in the way?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/","name":"Colorado Springs Moverss","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/#\/schema\/person\/4857af3bff7f66cee0c97667a8e70c1c","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com"],"url":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}