A bill that would require lobbyists who work for the state government to abide by the same rules that govern their peers representing for-profit companies and organizations is winning support in both chambers of the Colorado legislature.

Gov. Jared Polis, however, opposes Senate Bill 147, and sources have told Colorado Politics it’s the No. 1 bill on his veto list.

The bill has strong bipartisan support, with dozens of lawmakers in both chambers signed on as co-sponsors. SB 147 has won unanimous votes in the three committees it has so far been heard in, and it passed, 30-4, in the state Senate last week.

Those supportive panels included the House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, which gave it a 7-0 vote Monday. It now awaits action from the House Appropriations Committee.

SB 147 also has the support of the Colorado Lobbying Association.

The bill is borne out of frustration with the governor and his lobbyists, both within the governor’s office and state agencies, according to supporters of the measure.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-Fort Morgan, told Colorado Politics legislators have tried to offer exemptions and a compromise. But she was told the governor’s office was too busy with other bills and didn’t have time to monitor every one.

SB 147 was introduced on March 25.

Johnson argued that the administration’s lobbyists should play by the same rules as any other lobbyist. She noted that taxpayers pay the salaries of the administration lobbyists, one reason for more transparency.

But the bigger reason, she explained, is the difficulty in working with the administration’s lobbyists. The people have a right to know where the agencies and the governor stand on different issues, which is currently rarely disclosed.

Lobbyists for organizations are required to state their clients’ position on bills, either as amend, monitor, oppose, or support. Most of the time, the administration lobbyists rarely provide a position.

The governor’s office, which has a lobbyist, has not listed a position on SB 147 and has never testified on it.

Johnson said legislators get conflicting information from administration lobbyists, telling a lawmaker one day they support a bill and telling other people the next day they don’t support it.

This happens to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, Johnson said.

“They’re playing us,” she said.

SB 147 also includes requiring lawmakers to wait two years after leaving office to become lobbyists for state agencies.

Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, told the state affairs committee the bill will “rebalance the power between branches, because for the past eight years, there has been an imbalance made worse by the fact that legislators are caught unaware when the executive branch operates,” as a bill is moving through the legislature.

Supporters say bill ensures disclosure

The proposal will ensure that all individuals and entities engaged in the public policy development process are disclosing those activities, said Kachina Weaver with the Colorado Lobbyist Association.

Lacey Hays, who heads the lobbying association, told the committee “it is extremely difficult for us to understand why the governor’s office and the judicial branch are not supportive of transparency.”

She said there is no functional difference between legislative liaisons and the lobbyists or government affairs professionals who already meet the transparency requirements set in law.

“Lobbying activity by any person or entity should be reported, especially when public dollars are being spent in an effort to amend, support, oppose, or even monitor a bill,” she told the committee.

No one testified against the bill on Monday. The only opposition listed is Rocky Mountain Gun Owners. A handful of judicial agencies are listed as seeking amendments.

Johnson said she believes SB 1476 will win support from the appropriations committee and head to the House floor this week.

And that’s where the timing gets interesting.

Next Monday, the clock starts ticking toward the end of the 2026 session, which ends on May 13. That’s the day that the rules change on how much time the governor has to sign, veto or allow a bill to become law without his signature. Starting Monday, that timeframe becomes 30 days.

Through Friday, the governor still has just 10 days to act on legislation. That matters, Johnson acknowledged, because if the bill has two-thirds support in both chambers, an effort to override a veto is a possibility.