Polis vetoes bill altering Colorado public records access

Colorado Governor Jared Polis vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have extended government response times to public records requests and created separate timelines for journalists and other requesters. Transparency advocates and media organizations strongly opposed the measure, arguing it would weaken the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) and grant excessive discretion to officials in determining who qualifies as a journalist. Polis echoed these concerns in his veto letter, emphasizing that the bill would unfairly differentiate between requesters and potentially hinder public access to government records. The bill had passed with significant bipartisan support, raising the possibility of a legislative override. Proponents argued that increased requests have overwhelmed government agencies, but critics warned the changes would create more barriers for ordinary citizens seeking information. Ultimately, the veto was celebrated as a win for transparency advocates who believe all legitimate records requests should be treated equally under the law.