The proposed legislation aims to modify the process by which political parties in Colorado fill vacancies in certain offices. Under current law, when a vacancy arises in a central committee or in district and state offices held by party members, the party's central committee selects a vacancy committee to address the vacancy. This vacancy committee is typically composed of members of the central committee for the respective jurisdiction.
The bill introduces changes to this structure by mandating that the vacancy committee also include individuals elected as delegates to the applicable jurisdiction's district assembly. This expansion aims to broaden representation within the committee responsible for filling vacancies. Specifically, the legislation updates statutes related to the offices of county commissioner and members of the state school board to align with this new requirement.
Additionally, the bill proposes adjustments to the timelines associated with filling vacancies in the office of county commissioner. Currently, if a vacancy committee does not fill a county commissioner vacancy within 10 days, the governor is obligated to appoint a replacement within 15 days of the vacancy's occurrence. The proposed legislation extends these periods to 30 days for the vacancy committee and 35 days for the governor, providing more time for the selection process.
Furthermore, the bill seeks to modify the notification requirements for meetings of vacancy committees concerning vacancies in the General Assembly. Presently, a written notice specifying the time and location of the meeting must be mailed to each committee member at least 10 days prior to the meeting. The proposed change reduces this advance notice period to 6 days, potentially expediting the process of filling legislative vacancies.
These proposed changes reflect ongoing discussions about the methods and timelines for filling political vacancies in Colorado, aiming to enhance inclusivity and efficiency within the process.
Summary
Current law requires the political party central committee of most
jurisdictions to select a vacancy committee to fill vacancies in the central committee and in the district and state offices held by members of the political party. Current law also requires a vacancy committee to consist of, at a minimum, the members of the central committee of a jurisdiction. The bill requires that a vacancy committee selected by a central committee to fill a vacancy also consist of, at a minimum, the individuals elected as delegates to the applicable jurisdiction's district assembly. The bill modifies the vacancy committee statutes for the office of county commissioner and members of the state school board in accordance with this change.
Currently, if the vacancy committee for a vacancy in the office of
county commissioner fails to fill the vacancy within 10 days, the governor is required to fill the vacancy by appointment within 15 days after the vacancy occurs. The bill extends these timing requirements to 30 days and 35 days respectively.
Currently, a vacancy committee to fill a vacancy in the general
assembly may not meet to select a person to fill a vacancy unless a written notice of the time and location of the meeting was mailed to each of the committee members at least 10 days prior to the meeting. The bill modifies the notice requirement by requiring the notice to be mailed at least 6 days prior to the meeting.
