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Rising distrust in our political system is due in large part to a lack of transparency in several aspects of government. In Colorado, several organizations have taken up the cause of increasing transparency. Colorado Ethics Watch, a nonpartisan nonprofit, has been working for over 10 years in keeping the government accountable to the people it represents through government ethics work and attempting to decrease the influence of money in politics. Colorado Ethics Watch conducted a study last ye

The 2016 election provided more evidence than ever that voters are feeling frustrated by politics and feel like our elections are broken. Since November of last year, momentum for election reform has been at an all-time high. In particular, many voters are clamoring for ranked choice voting (RCV) at the state level, as passed by Maine voters last year.https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=86&v=CIz_nzP-W_cIn Colorado, RCV advocates are chomping at the bit to make the same progress in the Ce

On July 18, 2017, New Hampshire became the last of the New England states to decriminalize recreational marijuana. The new law, HB 640, had bipartisan sponsorship and bipartisan support. It will take effect in 60 days. However, the law seems to be confusing, and though it is a baby step toward it, the law does not legalize the possession of marijuana. Federal laws against marijuana are still significant barriers toward opening up marijuana markets. Justin Strekal, NORML Political Director, com

Wouldn’t it be nice if politicians engaged with their constituents in order to get their vote and their donations? One-on-one? Knocking on doors in neighborhoods? Speaking with them individually? Learning about the issues and concerns that they have, rather than listening to lobbyists and special interests? Wouldn't it also be nice if we could return as much of the legislative and voting process to one person casting a single vote? If we could get the corrupting influence of money out of politi

Colorado is home to over 1.3 million independents, yet there is not a single independent legislator in either the State House or State Senate. Independents are the largest and fastest growing group of voters but they remain voiceless in the state legislature. This is, in part, due to the anti-competitive hurdles created by the two-party system. Independent candidates must confront a political duopoly that has given itself every advantage – from ballot access rules to campaign finance regulation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ4BvQ5ZXOM Video Credit: Denver7 Hundreds of Republican and independent voters in Colorado are among the nearly 4,000 people who have canceled their voter registrations in the wake of the Trump administration’s request for voter information. The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office reported last week that 3,738 people withdrew their voter registration between June 28 and Friday, July 14.Colorado Voters Drop RegistrationCreate pie charts Of those 367 are Repub

After each presidential election in which the popular vote winner and the Electoral College winner differ, the country revisits the question, “Why do we still have the Electoral College?” Opponents of the Electoral College argue that basing the winner on the college leads candidates to focus only on swing states, which leaves out most of the country. For example, 94% of the 2016 presidential campaign events (375 of the 399) took place in only twelve states. Two-thirds (273 of 399) of the gener

Thousands of voters have cancelled their voter registration in Colorado since President Trump's election integrity commission requested personal voter data on every registered voter in the country. That is what the Denver Post reported Thursday. "Nearly 3,400 Coloradans canceled their voter registrations in the wake of the Trump administration’s request for voter info, the Secretary of State’s Office confirmed Thursday, providing the first statewide glimpse at the extent of the withdrawals," wr

The Colorado Rockies are home to many stunning features, one of which is the Continental Divide, which separates the watersheds of the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean. Now, while the Continental Divide is well-known, the state is also becoming known for another type of division that’s stunning for a very different reason. Every 10 years, the Colorado Reapportionment Commission meets to divide up the state into districts based on the U.S. Census. They are charged with setting boundaries, substa

We’ve all heard there’s a need to get money out of politics. But what’s not discussed as often are the details of how to go about doing so. Enter the 28th amendment. In the past few years, a movement has begun to add a 28th amendment to the US Constitution. The amendment would be aimed at limiting the influence of money over our political process and reserving constitutional rights for human beings, not corporations. Just over a year ago, an organization called American Promise launched with t