Bill to make Colorado government more transparent signed into law

Friday, the Taxpayer Empowerment Act, sponsored by Senator Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora), was signed into law. Governor John Hickenlooper signed the bill (Senate Bill 25) during a private ceremony in his office. The Taxpayer Empowerment Act will help ensure transparency and accountability in government contracts with private vendors and ensure taxpayer funds are used responsibly.

Every year, Colorado spends more than $4 billion on state contracts with private vendors. Under current law, some of those contracts include provisions making them open to public records requests and some do not. The Taxpayer Empowerment Act ensures the accountability of contractors who perform privatized public functions by adding a standard clause to all state procurement contracts making costs and performance measures of privatized government functions a matter of public record.

Senator Carroll offered the following comment on the signing of the Taxpayer Empowerment Act today:

“Public business must be open and accessible to the public, and taxpayers deserve to know that their dollars are being spent wisely. With the signing of the Taxpayer Empowerment Act, the public can monitor the cost and performance of government contracts with private vendors and ensure they are getting the best bang for their buck.”