Overview of Colorado Government
The Constitution
The Colorado Constitution contains the rules for how our state government operates. A main premise of the Constitution is that the people of Colorado give the government its power. The original Constitution was written in 1876. It has changed, or been amended, over 20 times since then. The Constitution can only be changed if a majority of voters approve the change.
The Constitution divides the power of government into three parts or branches: the Legislative Branch makes the laws, the Executive Branch enforces the laws, and the Judicial branch interprets the laws.
The Legislative Branch
The Colorado Legislature, known as the General Assembly, makes and revises laws for the state. The General Assembly is made up of two groups—the Senate and the House of Representatives. The people in these groups are known as “citizen legislators” because they hold a variety of jobs, ranging from ranching to teaching, during the times they are not serving in the General Assembly. Senators are elected every four years and Representatives are elected every two years. The Constitution limits the number of consecutive terms legislators may serve.
When members of the legislature want to make or change a law, they write what is known as a bill. Individual legislators may write only a certain number of bills during a legislative session. Once a bill is introduced, it is sent to a committee where committee members carefully study it before deciding if it should be voted on by the Senate and the House. When bills are being studied by committees, citizens may attend those meetings or listen to them on the internet. Citizens may also testify or give their opinions on the bill. If the committees approve the bills, the bills are voted on by both the Senate and the House. If a majority (over ˝) of the members of both houses vote for the bill, it “passes.”
Bills that pass both the Senate and the House, go to the Governor. The Governor can then sign the bill to make it law or send it back to the legislature with objections (veto it). If the Governor does not sign the bill or send it back, it will become law. The legislature can pass bills the governor has vetoed, but 2/3 of the members must vote for the bill.
The Executive Branch
The Executive Branch of Colorado government is made up of State Officers named in our Constitution. They are: the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Secretary of State, the Treasurer, and the Attorney General. State Officers are elected to four year terms and may serve only two consecutive terms.
The Governor’s job is to make sure that the laws passed by the legislature are properly executed. The Governor names people to state boards and commissions responsible for overseeing many state institutions. The Governor also suggests changes to laws to the legislature.
If the Governor is out of Colorado or is unable to work, the Lieutenant Governor temporarily takes the Governor’s place.
The Secretary of State ensures the integrity of Colorado’s elections. The Secretary oversees and administers many laws related to business, elections, charity, lobbyists, campaign finance, and the Uniform Commercial Code.
The Treasurer receives all of the money for the state, invests that money, and pays the bills for the state.
The Attorney General represents the state in legal matters. The Attorney General gives legal advice to State Officers and as the state’s lawyer represents the state in court.
The Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch interprets and administers the law. Courts make up the Judicial Branch. Courts conduct and review trials in both civil and criminal cases.
There are four primary courts in Colorado: County Courts, District Courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court.
County Courts hear cases involving limited dollars in civil cases and criminal misdemeanor cases. The District Court is the trial court of unlimited jurisdiction. It handles felony criminal cases, large civil cases, probate and domestic matters, cases for and against the government itself, and other matters of importance.
The Court of Appeals hears cases when either a plaintiff or a defendant believes a trial court made errors in the conduct of the trial. The Court of Appeals decides if errors were made and tells lower courts how to correct errors.
The Supreme Court also hears appeals, but only when it considers the cases to have great significance. The Supreme Court may also answer legal questions from the legislature regarding proposed laws.
