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Open Government

The more people know about how public servants make decisions and spend tax dollars, the less likely it is that those officials will break the law.

The ACLU of Colorado has fought for more open government at public agencies of all levels, from the statehouse to cities and towns. We’ve successfully lobbied for bills to lower the cost of copying public records and challenged the practices of the Denver Police Department in relation to the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act. We also filed suit under open records laws seeking an order that Denver disclose records related to the purchase of police equipment.

Related Cases
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2012-21
Malone v. Douglas County School District
First Amendment
Open Government
The ACLU demanded that DCSD immediately withdraw its directives prohibiting Mr. Malone from attending school board meetings. The ACLU also demanded that DCSD immediately withdraw its directive that required Mr. Malone, unlike any other member of the public or press, to receive pre-approval from DCSD before audio or video recording public meetings conducted on DCSD grounds. READ MORE >
2010-03
Wortham v. Dulacki
Open Government
In this case, the ACLU asserts that the Denver Police Department (DPD) violated the the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act when it refused to disclose any documents from the file of its investigation of the African American clients’ complaints of racial profiling arising from a traffic stop in February, 2009. READ MORE >
2009-03
Destruction of private property of homeless in Colorado Springs
Due Process
Open Government
Police Practices
The City of Colorado Springs had a long history of conducting “sweeps” of public parks and other public areas where the City’s homeless commonly slept, ostensibly for cleaning up the parks and discarding trash. READ MORE >
Related Legislation
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No.SB110
SB110: Sunset Civil Rights Commission & Div
Open Government
Sunset Process - Senate Judiciary Committee. Implements the recommendations of the department of regulatory agencies in its sunset review of the Colorado civil rights division (division), the Colorado civil rights commission (commission), and the subpoena powers of the director of the division (director) as follows: READ MORE >
No.SB057
SB057: Public School Financial Transparency
Open Government
Requires each school district, BOCES and charter school to create and maintain a searchable online budget database that includes data on all revenues and expenditures. READ MORE >
No.SB049
SB049: Disclosure Of State Employee Compensation Open Records
Open Government
Modifies the Colorado Open Records Act to permit disclosure of state employee compensation information in the aggregate or statistical form provided that the manner of disclosing the information protects the identification, location and habits of individual employees. READ MORE >