Companies seeking contracts with the state would be required to file reports on their efforts to lobby state workers, under a bill proposed by a Democratic senator.
Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, said he wants companies to disclose how much they spend trying to influence the officials who decide on state contracts.
“We certainly assume that everything is above- board,” Hagedorn said. “But there is absolutely no sunshine.”
Lawmakers already file reports on the donations they receive from lobbyists, but state workers do not face similar scrutiny.
The bill, which Hagedorn expects to introduce this week, would require lobbyists and corporate executives to file reports with the secretary of state.
The bill expands the definition of a lobbyist to include anybody who spends more than $250 a year to promote or oppose awarding a state contract to a particular vendor when the contract value exceeds $15,000.
Also, lobbyists would be required to declare their efforts if the combined total of the contracts in a year exceeds $50,000 – even if each individual contract is worth less than $15,000.
Officials in the Colorado Department of Personnel and Administration did not return calls seeking comment about the bill.
Dan Hopkins, spokesman for Gov. Bill Owens, said officials working for the governor’s office must file annual disclosures of the gifts they receive. And the heads of state agencies are required to declare gifts every year, under an executive order issued by Owens in 1999.
Hopkins, a former spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said procurement officers in that agency are not allowed to have any contact with bidders when the agency requests proposals.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-820-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
