How the Colorado General Assembly Works

Abstract

This article provides a brief overview of the legislative process as governed by the Colorado Constitution, statute and General Assembly rules as a guide to understanding the process followed by the Colorado General Assembly. It highlights some of the legislature’s 2016 work to illustrate the legislative process. As Otto von Bismarck said in the Nineteenth Century, legislation and sausage-making have a lot in common.

This article also discusses the role of the Colorado Bar Association, its Legislative Policy Committee, and the various sections and subsections in assisting the General Assembly in the business of legislation.

Keywords: general assembly, legislative process, Colorado Constitution, Colorado Bar Association