Transparency advocates frustrated over limited access to government records consider ballot measure

By: Scott Franz, CPR News, March 5, 2025

Almost a year after Colorado lawmakers frustrated transparency advocates by exempting themselves from parts of the open meetings law, a coalition of residents seeking more access to government records and meetings says it’s drafting a potential ballot initiative to strengthen “the public’s right to know.”

The group is calling itself “Team Transparency,” and it’s been meeting monthly in Denver to talk through proposals to send to voters in 2026.

It’s also uniting and attracting groups that have found themselves at opposite ends of political issues in the past.

“We all want to be able to watch government as it does its work. We want to see what they are doing,” Caldara said last week. “Government should be more and more open. It surprised me to find out that Colorado is only one of two states that don't live stream their committee meetings.”