Commissioners ask for formal process to bring county-originated bills to CCI and CCAT

Lake County commissioners used a work session update to press for a clearer, more formal process for bringing county-developed legislative ideas to statewide advocacy groups such as Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI) and CCAT.

Elizabeth Rosen, political advocacy representative with Political Advocacy Incorporated, explained timelines and routes counties typically use to pitch legislation to statewide organizations and urged commissioners to consider joining committees or steering groups to shape agenda priorities. "By October 3, they will meet to set their actual legislative agenda," Rosen said, describing CCI’s fall schedule.

Commissioners and staff described examples where ideas originated in county offices and later appeared on association priority lists. Participants identified two needs: better internal practices so staff know how to package and escalate ideas, and more intentional participation by commissioners and staff in CCI and CCAT meetings.

County staff and advocacy consultants agreed to supply templates and a regular meeting cadence so county teams can flag pain points and propose legislative concepts in time for association steering committees. Alan Morris said advocacy staff will share templates and suggested workflows to standardize how staff submit potential bills for consideration.

The meeting also noted the County Attorneys Association often engages on technical or legal drafting and can help push proposals that statewide associations do not champion. Commissioners requested that staff formalize the internal culture so future commissioners and staff have a clear path to propose legislation and coordinate advocacy.

Next steps recorded in the meeting included advocacy staff delivering templates to county staff and scheduling regular coordination meetings to track association deadlines and priority-setting windows.