The Dangerous Silencing of Sandra Fish: A Call to Stand for Democracy
In an alarming act against press freedom and your right to know, Sandra Fish, a seasoned Colorado Sun reporter, was unjustly ousted from the Republican state assembly on April 6.
In an alarming act against press freedom and your right to know, Sandra Fish, a seasoned Colorado Sun reporter, was unjustly ousted from the Republican state assembly on April 6.
The Colorado News Collaborative (COLab), Colorado Press Association, Colorado Broadcasters Association, Colorado Media Project, Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and Denver Press Club write to express our collective dismay and
Update: The Colorado House passed SB 24-132 on a 50-11 vote on Monday, Apr. 8, sending the bill to Gov. Jared Polis. A bill earning support in the Colorado legislature
The draft of an annual financial report prepared by Durango city officials for later submission to the state auditor is not exempt from public disclosure under the work product provision
State lawmakers could voluntarily post drafts of proposed legislation — before legislative sessions begin — on a “clearinghouse” website of the Colorado General Assembly under a measure endorsed Thursday by
The town board of Del Norte violated the Colorado Open Meetings Law by censuring a fellow board member during a closed executive session, the Colorado Court of Appeals ruled Thursday,
Denying a Pagosa Springs lawyer legal standing to sue a school district because he doesn’t live within its boundaries “would drastically and substantively alter the protections” of the Colorado Open
Records custodians would have the power to deem someone a “vexatious requester” and bar that person from obtaining public records for 30 working days under a bill introduced Wednesday in
A legislative committee Wednesday narrowly endorsed a proposed $150,000 study by the Colorado Attorney General on ways to prevent and combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation after proponents tried
Nearly six years after then-Gov. John Hickenlooper vetoed a bill to seal autopsy reports on minors, Colorado’s county coroners are again trying to restrict public access to those records. “History
More than two months after BusinessDen asked a judge to set aside her contempt threat against reporter Justin Wingerter, the judge responded to the motion this week with three words, “NO ACTION
The state’s second-highest court Thursday affirmed a judge’s order to disclose video surveillance footage showing three Woodland Park school board members talking with a candidate for superintendent after a public
A judge will decide whether disciplinary records about the former police chief of Elizabeth are “personnel files” exempt from disclosure under the Colorado Open Records Act. Lawyers for the town
Update: Gov. Jared Polis signed HB 24-1090 into law on Tuesday, Feb. 20. State lawmakers want to adjust a 2023 juvenile privacy law that recently forced Colorado’s judicial branch to
Certain records about a June 2023 cyberattack at the Colorado Department of Higher Education are subject to CORA’s deliberative process privilege and can’t be disclosed to a requester, a judge
A Pagosa Springs lawyer who routinely sues school boards around the state for violations of the open meetings law is defending his role as a “private attorney general” in a
Colorado lawmakers’ use of an anonymous private survey to prioritize bills impacting the state budget “thwarts the entire purpose” of the Colorado Open Meetings Law because it shields the public
The state’s highest court should reaffirm that people who sue state and local government entities are still entitled to obtain public records from those entities by using the Colorado Open
The Colorado Department of Human Services wants the state’s highest court to review a recent appellate court opinion that could force the disclosure of aggregate statistics about child-abuse hotline calls
Several key rulings in 2023 showed why courts matter so much for enforcing and interpreting Colorado’s open government laws. Unlike some other states, Colorado has no avenue to administratively challenge
Because of a 2023 law that protects the privacy of juveniles, the Colorado Judicial Department plans to limit attorneys’ access to criminal court records and clerks may take longer to
Three years ago, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition published a “wish list” of recommendations for better open government laws in Colorado. Part of CFOIC’s job, we noted, is to
In a victory for the Aurora Sentinel, the Colorado Court of Appeals reversed a district court ruling Thursday and ordered Aurora to publicly release the recording of an executive session
Update: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed an amicus letter with the court in support of BusinessDen’s motion to vacate on behalf of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition,
On October 30, 2023, a Colorado state court judge determined that two Denver city officials had improperly withheld public records from a TV reporter when they refused to disclose text
Are people who want books banned or reclassified library “users” whose identities are protected by Colorado law? The Colorado Court of Appeals said yes in an opinion issued last month, but now
A judge’s decision to restrict access to records in the case of a cardiologist accused of sexually assaulting and drugging victims does not comply with a 2021 Colorado rule meant
In a new court brief, leaders of the Colorado General Assembly defend their use during recent legislative sessions of an anonymous online survey to help prioritize bills that impact the
The Colorado Children’s Code doesn’t necessarily prohibit the state Department of Human Services from publicly releasing aggregate statistics about child-abuse hotline calls made from licensed residential care facilities, the Colorado
A judge Monday ordered Denver to disclose city officials’ text messages about last June’s severe hailstorm at Red Rocks Amphitheater, ruling the communications were improperly withheld from 9NEWS reporter Steve
A year from now, on July 1, 2024, inflation will likely boost the maximum hourly rate governments are allowed to charge for processing Colorado Open Records Act requests from $33.58
A district court ruling against four Douglas County school board members last week doesn’t affect other government boards, councils and commissions, but it could persuade judges who examine similar cases
A Court of Appeals opinion keeping Colorado’s database of law enforcement officers confidential “creates a gaping hole” in the Colorado Open Records Act and broadens the scope of the criminal
Concerned the measure would “act as an impediment to legitimate challenges to open meetings,” Gov. Jared Polis on Tuesday vetoed a heavily amended bill that would have barred pro se
Gov. Jared Polis’ signature on Senate Bill 23-286 Tuesday will change the Colorado Open Records Act in some small but important ways when the measure takes effect in early August.
Signing into law a bill that lets elected officials block anyone from their private social media accounts for “any reason,” Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on Monday urged state lawmakers to
A district court judge made “egregious” errors last year in deciding that Colorado’s Sunshine Law did not require members of an elected town board to discuss the censure of a
Despite a looming inflationary increase in fees, state lawmakers in the 2023 legislative session never addressed the often-high cost of obtaining public records in Colorado but did vote to eliminate
Update: Denver District Court Judge Andrew Luxen on Thursday, June 1, denied Movimiento Poder’s motion to intervene because its interests are “adequately represented” by the news organizations suing Denver Public
Promising to keep working to improve access to state-and-local government for people with disabilities, a lawmaker Tuesday requested the defeat of his own bill to mandate the livestreaming of public
Update: The Colorado Senate voted 29-5 to pass the amended version of HB 23-1259 on Tuesday, May 2. The strike-below amendment to House Bill 23-1259, similar to language suggested by the Colorado Freedom
Legislators Friday defeated a CORA bill amendment, proposed by Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, aimed at opening records on the Democrats’ use of a secret survey to help decide the fate of
Update: The House concurred with Senate amendments to HB 23-1259 and repassed the bill on Thursday, May 4, sending it to the governor. An open meetings bill in the Colorado
Update: The Senate passed HB 23-1306 on a 26-9 vote on Thursday, May 4, sending the bill to the governor. State and local elected officials could block anyone from their private
Colorado’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board is a criminal justice agency, and it did not abuse its discretion by denying two news organizations’ requests for the state’s database
A CORA modernization bill passed a Colorado Senate committee Thursday with lawmakers adding a provision that prohibits state agencies and local governments from requiring requesters to show identification to obtain
Unlike a draft circulating at the state Capitol since mid-March, the introduced version of a bill amending the Colorado Open Records Act would not affect public records fees, which are
As amended by the Colorado House last week, an open meetings bill still significantly weakens Coloradans’ ability to enforce a 22-year-old provision in the Sunshine Law requiring school boards and
Update: The Colorado House approved HB 23-1182 on third reading 63-0 on Friday, Apr. 14. There will be no “presumptive” livestreaming of criminal trials and evidentiary hearings in state courts,
State lawmakers Monday endorsed a bill that makes it harder for Coloradans to challenge inadequately announced closed-door meetings of school boards, city councils, county commissions and special district boards. House
A bill requiring Colorado courts to livestream open criminal court proceedings on Webex or another videoconferencing platform won unanimous approval in the House Judiciary Committee early Thursday morning. Committee amendments
Lawyers argued in the Colorado Court of Appeals this week over whether Colorado’s Peace Officer Standards and Training board is a criminal justice agency or an agency subject to the
A judge Wednesday ordered the Woodland Park School District to disclose video surveillance footage showing three school board members talking with a candidate for superintendent after a public meeting last
A proposed chief justice directive should be revised to allow the livestreaming of criminal trials and evidentiary hearings in Colorado courtrooms and permit virtual access to civil proceedings, the Colorado
A multi-faceted CORA bill draft circulating at the Colorado Capitol would give news organizations a break on research-and-retrieval fees, let government entities take more time to respond to many records
In a new filing, the Aurora Sentinel lays out multiple reasons why it believes the Colorado Court of Appeals should reverse a judge’s ruling and order the city of Aurora
A 2021 Colorado Court of Appeals opinion on what lawyers can tell the press about pending class-action lawsuits will chill “legitimate speech that allows the media to keep the public
Colorado’s judicial branch proposed two new chief justice directives on virtual court proceedings Wednesday and asked the public to comment on them by mid-March. “It is a forgone conclusion that
Archuleta County and Colorado Counties Inc. have asked the Colorado Supreme Court to review a 2022 appellate court ruling that lets a person involved in litigation with a public entity
A bill that restricts governments’ use of nondisclosure agreements to silence public employees in Colorado earned bipartisan support in a Senate committee Thursday. “This is just a fundamental principle that
The names of child victims and witnesses would be removed from criminal justice records before the records are released to the public if legislation introduced by two state senators becomes
Nearly three years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced Colorado courts to fundamentally change how they operate, the judicial branch is developing a policy that could make the livestreaming of court
A state lawmaker is trying again to bar the use of nondisclosure agreements to silence public employees in Colorado, this time applying the prohibition to local governments as well as
The Gunnison County Library District has joined the Crested Butte News and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition in asking the Colorado Court of Appeals to overturn a judge’s ruling
Draft rules implementing a new Colorado consumer privacy law have been revised to address news organizations’ concerns about how the law could affect journalism activities. A new version, released by the
Like last year, court rulings dominate the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition’s 2022 list of transparency highs and lows, with perhaps the most closely watched decision coming nearly three weeks
Three Lakewood City Council members are raising free-speech concerns after Mayor Adam Paul muted two of their microphones while they spoke during a Monday meeting on Zoom convened to consider
A person involved in litigation with a public entity has the right to use the Colorado Open Records Act to obtain documents from that public entity, the Colorado Court of
The Colorado Supreme Court this week declined to review issues in a Court of Appeals opinion that could impact the First Amendment rights of lawyers to make statements about public-interest
News organizations in Colorado are urging state Attorney General Phil Weiser to exempt journalism activities in draft rules implementing a 2021 consumer privacy law. “The lack of an exemption for newsgathering …
In Colorado Court of Appeals briefs filed Monday, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and the editor of the Crested Butte News spell out reasons why a judge erred in
Lawyers clashed in the Colorado Court of Appeals on Tuesday over whether the state’s Children’s Code prohibits the Colorado Department of Human Services (DHS) from publicly releasing aggregate statistics about
Colorado’s Sunshine Law does not require members of an elected public board to discuss the censure of a fellow board member in an open meeting, a judge has ruled. The
In a recent opinion, the Colorado Court of Appeals established a high standard of proof for a plaintiff to withstand a special motion to dismiss a defamation claim involving a
The Colorado Court of Appeals last week reversed a judge’s findings that emails protected from disclosure by the attorney-client and deliberative process privileges are nonetheless available to a “person in
One day in October 1985, the late Neil Westergaard, then The Denver Post’s state Capitol bureau chief, introduced me to the ancient rolltop desk I would use for the next
Over the past two decades, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition and its member organizations and board members have achieved numerous successes both in amending the Colorado Open Meetings Law
Rejecting the argument of a trauma surgeon’s lawyers, a judge ruled last week that a 2018 state law limits the scope of Denver Health and Hospital Authority records subject to
The public release Friday of the amended autopsy report on the 2019 death of Elijah McClain ended a legal fight that didn’t need to happen, said Steve Zansberg, president of
A judge Friday declined to hold members of the Woodland Park school board in contempt for allegedly violating his April order to list meeting agenda items “clearly, honestly and forthrightly.”
A trauma surgeon’s lawsuit is testing the scope of a 2018 statute that concerns the public disclosure of Denver Health and Hospital Authority records. Before the enactment of Senate Bill 18-149,
A judge Tuesday ordered Larimer County to publicly disclose the narrative portions of performance evaluations for two former employees of The Ranch, the county’s fairgrounds complex and events center. In
Following three years of failed bills, state lawmakers in 2021 finally agreed on statutory language to address the trend among Colorado law enforcement agencies to fully encrypt their radio communications. A provision inserted into
A judge has ordered the release of Denver police body-worn camera footage related to the case of a man accused of shooting and killing 52-year-old Emmanuel Amani in April. An
A Colorado statute that criminalizes the public disclosure of all child abuse and neglect records violates the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals held Tuesday.
Local governments in Colorado are fighting two CORA-related court rulings they fear “will have far-reaching detrimental effects on nearly all aspects of government operations” if upheld. In a brief filed recently with
Some wildlife advocates are unhappy with a new policy that bars them from audio and video recording, as well as livestreaming, meetings held by a group advising the Colorado Parks
A public entity with a contractual right to access documents from a private third party, such as a developer, must disclose those records to a requester if they are used
The philanthropic Colorado Media Project is starting a fund to help Colorado journalists pay for public records that enhance reporting on social, economic, racial and other inequities. Seeded by The
If you think the cost of obtaining public records in Colorado is too high now, you’re not going to like what will happen in 2024. The maximum hourly rate state
A new analysis of open records laws in all 50 states highlights several ways Colorado legislators could make criminal justice records more accessible to journalists and the public. The report for the
People who ask Gunnison County librarians to remove or reclassify books they find objectionable or controversial can remain anonymous, a judge decided. In a civil case brought against Mark Reaman,
Two agencies of Colorado’s judicial branch object to a proposed new rule that would make records of many completed personnel investigations accessible to the public. During a meeting of the
For those concerned about access to government records in Colorado, the 2022 legislative session was notable for what didn’t happen — the introduction of a bill addressing frustrating issues such
The Douglas County School District must let 9NEWS anchor Kyle Clark see a Colorado Open Records Act request that sought the names of teachers who called in sick Feb. 3
Remote testimony on bills, a positive outgrowth of the COVID-19 pandemic, likely will remain an option for the public during future sessions of the Colorado General Assembly. House Bill 22-1413,
A Teller County District Court judge Friday ordered the Woodland Park school board to comply with the Colorado Open Meetings Law “by clearly, honestly and forthrightly” listing future agenda items
An anti-doxxing bill advanced by a state legislative committee Thursday would amend the Colorado Open Records Act to bar the disclosure of the specific date of a teacher’s absence from
Anchor Kyle Clark and the company that owns 9NEWS are suing the Douglas County School District’s records custodian for refusing to disclose a Colorado Open Records Act request that sought
Restricting access to certain public records in Colorado will protect the state’s wildlife and sensitive plant species, some state lawmakers say. That’s the aim of Senate Bill 22-169, which cleared the
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