Government Ethics

After Amendment 41 changed the laws regarding gifts to persons in state government, many people, both citizens and governmental officials alike, found some parts of the new law to be confusing and/or complicated. In 2011, however, the Independent Ethics Commission, which was formed following the passage of Amendment 41, put together the 2011 Ethics Handbook, a helpful publication for anyone in Colorado looking to understand the state’s ethics laws.

It seems like every Legislative session there’s an ethics panel formed to investigate some legislator’s conduct, whether it’s for alleged drunk driving, angry words on the Floor, pay violations, kicking a news photographer…you name it. For clarification on the ethics for legislators, see the Colorado legislator’s handbook.