NEWS RELEASE
COLORADO SECRETARY OF STATE
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Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold unveiled her legislative agenda for the 2022 Colorado Legislative Session, which is focused on fortifying the Colorado Election Model and helping small businesses throughout the state.
“As Secretary of State, I work to ensure that every eligible voter—Republican, Democrat, and Independent, alike—has accessible, safe, and secure elections,” said Secretary Griswold. “The nation is facing unprecedented threats to democracy, and we must innovate to continue to remain the nation’s gold standard for elections. This year’s legislative agenda will add protections for voters and election administrators while further securing election infrastructure.”
“I am also proud to advance a number of proposals to support Colorado’s small businesses which are essential to our communities and economy,” continued Secretary Griswold. “From cutting common businesses fees to just $1, to protections from business identity theft and deceptive solicitations – these proposals will help everyday Coloradans and small business owners.”
Secretary Griswold’s priorities for the 2022 Legislative Session include:
- Upholding Coloradans’ voting rights: The Vote Without Fear Act would further strengthen pre-existing voter intimidation laws in order to ensure every voter can cast a ballot at a drop box or Voter Service & Polling Center without fear. This proposed legislation prohibits openly carrying a firearm at a Voter Service & Polling Center (VSPC) and within 100 feet of a drop box or any building in which a VSPC is located.
- Protecting Colorado’s elections: In 2021, there were multiple insider threats to election infrastructure across the nation. The Securing Our Voting Systems and Election Infrastructure Act would bolster the security of Colorado’s elections by strengthening laws that protect voting equipment and key elections systems, improving the security infrastructure around voting systems equipment, and increasing protections for whistle blowers.
- As they are across the country, election officials and workers in Colorado are facing unprecedented threats of violence for doing their jobs. The Election Official Protection Act will provide additional protections for Colorado election workers against doxing and retaliation and Closing the State Patrol Loophole will ensure reliable access to State Patrol coverage to statewide constitutional executive elected officials.
- Making Government and Politics Transparent: The Department is seeking funding to modernize the Department of State’s aging campaign finance disclosure system in order to provide greater transparency into how money flows into and affects Colorado politics. The new modern disclosure system will report how lobbyists, candidates, issue committees, 501c4 organizations, and campaigns receive and spend money on politics in one comprehensive, easy to use platform, providing greater transparency for the public and the press by making it easier to explore financial reporting around Colorado politics and government.
- Supporting Small Businesses: While Colorado’s economy is recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses throughout the state have faced uncertain times. The Secretary of State, in collaboration with the Governor’s Office and legislative leadership is advancing the Colorado Business Fee Relief Act, which will drastically reduce common filing fees to just $1, including fees for new business registrations, annual business renewals, registration of new trade names, renewal of trade names, and updates to business information.
- The Secretary is also proposing legislation that further protects businesses from identity theft, by setting up a process to provide victims pathways for relief in coordination with the Attorney General’s Office.
- To protect Colorado business owners from deceptive, third-party business filing solicitations the Secretary is leading on legislation that requires these solicitations to include clear language stating that they are not an official form from a state agency or local government, while prohibiting language and due dates that makes the solicitation appear to be issued by a state agency or local government or appear to impose a legal duty.
Over the last three years Secretary Griswold has made immense strides in improving Colorado’s elections to ensure more voters throughout the state can make their voices heard. This year’s agenda builds on those accomplishments, making a true difference for Coloradans in both elections and business.
More information on Secretary Griswold’s legislative priorities for the 2022 Colorado Legislative Session can be found here.
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