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).
Jeremy Shupbach, legislative and policy advocate
Jeremy's 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).
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).
2024 CML Box Score
Support and Oppose Bills
Laws Enacted
2023 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
February 7, 2024
CML filed an amicus curiae (“friend of the court”) brief in the Colorado Supreme Court in support of the City of Aurora’s city clerk. In The Sentinel Colorado v. Rodriguez, the city asked the Colorado Supreme Court to review three holdings of the Court of Appeals relating to an executive session held for the purpose of receiving legal advice pursuant to the Open Meetings Law (OML): 1) whether the disclosure of direction to counsel in executive session constituted a waiver of the attorney-client privilege; 2) whether the council’s direction to its legal counsel in executive session constituted formal action in violation of the OML; and 3) whether a local public body can cure a violation of the OML. CML’s brief highlights the statewide importance of the attorney-client relationship between municipalities and their legal counsel. Read CML’s brief 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.