NOTE: CLEAN (Community Legislative Early Action Network) is active during the Colorado Legislative Session, which usually runs from January until early May. If you’d like to sign up for CLEAN, please send an email to longmontareadems@gmail.com with “Put me on the CLEAN list” in the subject line, thanks!
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES MATTER. And nowhere is that more important than in our Colorado state legislature. When good laws are passed at the state level, they can influence what is possible at the federal level — that’s what “states rights” should mean. For instance, weeks BEFORE the Alito SCOTUS leak in early May of 2022, Colorado lawmakers State Rep’s Meg Froelich and Daneya Esgar, and State Senator Julie Gonzales drafted, sponsored, and PASSED HB22-1279: The Reproductive Health Equity Act which will ensure every individual has the fundamental right to choose or refuse contraception; every individual who becomes pregnant has a fundamental right to choose to continue a pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent rights under the laws of Colorado. PASSED and SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR into LAW on 4/4/22. In 2020, amidst the George Floyd protests — with several legislators observing the peaceful protests in Denver during session breaks — State Senators Leroy Garcia and Rhonda Fields, State Reps Leslie Herod and Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez drafted, sponsored and passed SB20-21 Enhance Law Enforcement Integrity — “Colorado passed one of the most comprehensive police reform packages in the country …setting limits on police use of force and mandating data collection to make sure cops who are fired from one agency don’t get rehired by another.” — Denver Post, June 13, 2020. More here. In the past, democratic majorities drafted, sponsored, and passed landmark oil and gas health and safety measures (SB19-181), the Red Flag (ERPO, Extreme Risk Protection Order) gun safety law (see this recent story here) and the Conversion Therapy Ban, to name just a few.
THE GOAL OF CLEAN: To provide LAD members and interested followers more up to date information on upcoming bills in the Colorado House and Senate, providing residents an avenue to influence the way bills are crafted, communicating the type of bills that communities would like to see from their representatives, and helping discourage “bad” bills from passing — all in a timely manner. Too often people are not aware of issues regarding bills until right before a vote is imminent, or when a bill is going to the last committee hearing. This is not the best time to be communicating with legislators! To be an effective Community Activist, it needs to happen earlier and more regularly.
CLEAN began in 2014, and in 2017, CLEAN actions expanded to the Federal level as well.
HOW: This CLEAN Working Group will get the latest legislative information via the CLEAN mailing list. Members of the group may choose to visit the Capitol on a regular basis* to talk with legislatures and observe the process — encouraging legislation that focuses on citizens’ needs in comparison to corporations! In other words, set up a two way communication network that can rapidly disseminate what needs to be DONE in regard to specific ideas and upcoming legislation.
*Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there will be no in-person visits to the Capitol, but details on participating in remote testimony via Webex can be found in the CLEAN training presentation.
To view CLEAN’s latest training presentation, and to download a pdf, go here.
If you are interested in being a part of this network please email us at longmontareadems@gmail.com with “CLEAN” in the subject line, thanks!
Here’s an introductory presentation about CLEAN, from a Longmont Area Democrats meeting, February 3, 2021
Hit play (one minute for each slide), or use menu at bottom of screen to click pause, advance, or full screen buttons):
Another short overview of CLEAN, presented at our January 2023 LAD Meeting (Click the three vertical dots to read the Speaker Notes)
Hit play (one minute for each slide), or use menu at bottom of screen to click pause, advance, or full screen buttons):
(page 4 of the CLEAN Handbook):
(page 5 of the CLEAN Handbook):
— CLEAN RESOURCES —
COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEGISLATIVE MEMBER DIRECTORY, here.
(Use the toggles up top to look up members by chamber — state senate, or state house. Or by party. It’s also helpful to know your districts. Go here, to find out how to look up your districts. Or use the district maps for the Longmont area widget, here.)
GET TO KNOW the Colorado General Assembly website: leg.colorado.gov
To watch Senate and House proceedings live — not committee hearings (see link, below) — this will be work, testimony by legislators, and votes on the Colorado House and Senate floors, or after they’ve occurred:
Go to leg.colorado.gov and click the “Watch & Listen” tab at the top of the website home page. This portal will take you to the Colorado Channel on youtube. Once posted on the Colorado Channel on youtube, videos will be named by “Colorado House…” or “Colorado Senate…”, the year of session (“2022”, for example), and by the Legislative “day” within that session.
It’s a good idea to go ahead and subscribe (also click the notifications bell) to the Colorado Channel on youtube.
If you have trouble signing up to testify or submit written testimony, please email committees.lcs.ga@state.co.us
or call 303.866.3521
Link for Remote Testimony Video: https://coleg.app.box.com/s/eiuzh3ld59q4ad8vohxb1zaup27zp2tn
Monitor committee proceedings: http://www.leg.state.co.us/public/display.nsf/index.html
(About CLEAN: — a general overview of CLEAN,
includes Intro to CLEAN presentation and resources list.)
(Includes complete CLEAN presentation slides,
how to participate in remote testimony, resources list, and more.)
(Links you to the latest Indivisible Guide)
