How You Can Help

There's strong support for Amendment 41, but the fight is intensifying with opposition from the special interest lobbyists in the courts. Help us win the implementation of A41 and to clarify any misconceptions of what is covered under A41 such as government employees children being able to accept a scholarship. Click here to ask your state representatives and senators to honor the will of the voters by abiding by the spirit of Amendment 41 in performing their jobs. Take action.

Overview

The lobbying scandals in Washington DC confirm what many have long suspected: that the link between big money and politics leads to corruption. Jack Abramoff and his partners amassed enormous wealth, mostly by milking Native American tribes out of huge sums of money, and used it to buy favors from members of Congress and their staffers. It may surprise you to know that Colorado operates under a wide-open scheme; lobbyists can give anything to state legislators with no limits. Anything goes: sports tickets, golfing trips, free stays in mountain condos, rafting trips, helicopter rides, lunches, dinners, drinks, you name it.

During the 2005 legislative session, Colorado's 65 representatives in the General Assembly reported receiving $102,333 in gifts, tickets, entertainment, honoraria, and travel expenses, an average of $1,570 per Representative. Colorado's 35 Senators reported receiving $41,102 - more than $1,170 per Senator. Governor Bill Owens alone received $57, 102 in gifts in 2005.

Why do lobbyists spend such large amounts of money on gifts to public officials? The answer is obvious. Trips, gifts and other "freebies" provide increased access to legislators and give lobbyists more influence at the policy-making table. Unfortunately, ordinary citizens who cannot afford such gift-giving expenditures are often shut out of the decision-making process. Lobbyist funded gifts, entertainment, and other expenditures bias policy debates on some of the most important issues for Coloradans, such as health care, taxes, and environmental policy. Lobbyists know they can forge deeper relationships with elected officials and ultimately affect policy debates, when they offer public officials free tickets to professional sporting events, expensive conferences in exotic locations, and free meals at expensive restaurants.

It is time for Colorado to join the majority of US states and establish meaningful standards for its booming lobby industry.

What Amendment 41 will do:

1. Gift Ban - outlaws gifts from professional lobbyists to elected officials and government employees. Limit gifts from all other sources to a maximum of $50.
2. Revolving door restrictions - creates a two year cooling of period before a legislator or statewide elected officeholder would be allowed to lobby the legislature for pay.
3. Creates an independent ethics commission - establishes a bi-partisan five member commission with subpoena power to enforce the gift ban, revolving door, and other ethics rules in Colorado.