Advocacy & Legal
In This Section
Advocacy
CML Advocacy Team
Heather Stauffer, legislative advocacy manager
Heather covers the following issues: building codes; natural resources and environment; elections; governmental immunity; oil and gas; open meetings/open records; severance tax/FML/energy impact; water and wastewater/water quality; wildfire and WUI code; and State Department/Offices (CDA, CDPHE, CDPS, COGCC, DNR, DOLA, OIT, and SOS).
Elizabeth Haskell, legislative and policy advocate
ELizabeth's issues include beer and liquor; employment and labor; economic development; retirement/pensions; taxation and fiscal policy; lottery and gaming; historic preservation, municipal debt and finance; purchasing; and State Department/Offices (PERA/FPPA, EDDC/OEDIT, CDLE, DOLA, DOR, and GOCO).
Beverly Stables, legislative and policy advocate
Beverly's issues include public health; substance abuse; affordable housing; land use and annexation; air quality; transportation and transit; sustainability; and State Department/Offices (DHS, CDPHE, CDOT, Colorado Energy Office, and DOLA).
Vacant, legislative and policy advocate
Issues include regulated substances, hemp, criminal justice, special
districts, immigration, public safety, municipal courts,
telecom/broadband/IT, Utilities, and State Department/Offices (DOLA,
DOR, CDPS, Dept. of Law, Judiciary, Office of Resiliency and Recovery,
OIT, SIPA, and PUC).
2025 CML Box Score
Support and Oppose Bills
Laws Enacted
2024 Colorado Laws Enacted Affecting Municipal Governments is now available. Past editions
are available here.
Legal
Legal Services
CML's legal team provides a broad variety of legal support to its members including trainings, an amicus curiae program, publications, an attorney listserv, model ordinances and policies, and general inquiry support. Read more about CML's legal services here.Amicus Library
CML advocates in support of municipal interests in state and federal courts. The CML legal team maintains an amicus curiae program. You can also visit our amicus brief library dating back to 1950.
Amicus Update
January 29, 2025
CML filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in the Colorado Supreme Court in support of the City of Salida in a dispute over the city’s authority to issue amplified noise permits that allow exceedances of limits in the Noise Abatement Act. The Supreme Court’s decision will resolve divergent opinions issued by separate panels of the Court of Appeals in Hobbs v. City of Salida, 550 P.3d 193 (Colo. App. 2024), and Freed v. Bonfire Entertainment, 556 P.3d 817 (Colo. App. 2024). CML’s briefing highlights the traditional role of statutory municipalities like Salida in regulating noise and promoting important social and cultural events and activities. Read CML’s brief in the Amicus Library.
January 14, 2025
At the Court’s invitation, CML filed amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) briefs in the Colorado Supreme Court in support of the Cities of Westminster and Aurora to defend the home rule authority of municipalities to define municipal offenses and penalties. In three municipal court cases, the defendants challenged the cities’ municipal offenses for theft, trespass, and motor vehicle trespass. The defendants argue that the local laws violate constitutional guarantees of equal protection because the potential local penalties are more severe than penalties for similar state crimes. They also argue that the local laws are preempted by 2021 state laws that reclassified crimes under state law and reduced the associated penalties. CML’s briefing highlights the important role that municipal courts play in the justice system and the constitutional home rule authority to define municipal offenses and penalties. Read CML’s briefs in the Amicus Library.
Legal Corner
CML's legal team provides regular commentary on municipal legal issues in CML's biweekly newsletter. Read CML's legal corners here.
Municipal Law Update
CML's legal team provides members with a monthly summary of state and federal legal decisions, administrative rulemakings, and legal news involving municipalities.
Reach out to Denise White if you would like to receive the Municipal Law Update.