The executive committee of the legislative council—the six top leaders of the House and Senate—voted 5-1 Wednesday to make permanent the video livestreaming of committee hearings, starting in the 2026 legislative session, which begins Jan. 14.

And they managed to do it at a lower cost than initially anticipated.

The executive committee approved a pilot program to livestream committee hearings during the August special session, allowing the public to see lawmakers and witnesses for the first time.

A November report from the Legislative Council staff said that people accessed the livestream for 35 committee hearings, 15,251 times between July 30 and Nov. 5. That included year-round committee hearings and the six-day special session.

Colorado was the only state in the nation that didn’t livestream its state legislative committee hearings, according to the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, which has advocated for the change for the past 18 months.

In a September letter to the council, the Freedom of Information Coalition wrote that the high number of views demonstrates public interest in legislative proceedings. They added that video streaming makes the process more accessible and accountable by making it easier to follow testimony and statements and better understand the context of a committee discussion, especially when speakers are not identified on the audio.

The report noted people were “especially happy to be able to see slide presentations live.”

As to improvements, people suggested improving the resolution of the streaming video; prioritizing the need for in-room participants to be able to
view Zoom participants on the screen in the meeting room at the same time meeting slides are being displayed; and adding closed captioning in the meeting room for committee chairs and participants.

Notably, the report said, no one complained about the fixed view of the committee dais or about the video’s lack of a more professional production.

There were only a few minor glitches during the pilot, none related to the pilot itself, the report said.

The executive committee approved the cost, initially pegged at $70,000 for the first year, but a revised quote indicates the actual price will be $20,000 for setup and up to another $50,000 for 18 months of service, rather than one year of service. However, the exact cost could be slightly lower at $62,338, according to Legislative Council Staff Director Natalie Castle.

In a statement after the vote, House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, said, “By greenlighting the video streaming of committee hearings, we’re opening up more opportunities for Coloradans to engage in the legislative process.”

Noting the success of the pilot, McCluskie added that “Coloradans are already using this option to tune in to our state government. I am excited the legislature has expanded video livestreaming and will continue to stream committee hearings in the 2026 legislative session and beyond.”