Colorado Spending Transparency

COST learned that Governor Bill Ritter is not very transparent when it comes to bill signing.  Colorado Transparency Project Director Amy Oliver called State Representative BJ Nikkel to find out when the Governor would sign HB 1288 the Colorado Taxpayer Transparency Act.  Amy reported this morning on her blog:

The legislator [BJ Nikkel] known among her colleague as “Miss Transparency” has no idea.  Not that she hasn’t asked.  The Governor’s office won’t tell her.  So much for transparency from the Executive Branch.  They even keep bill signings secret.

He could not sign it in which case it becomes law anyway, or he could veto it.  Either way, his office isn’t telling.

This wouldn’t be the first time that Governor Ritter didn’t invite Rep. Nikkel to the transparency party.  Despite Nikkel’s reputation as the champion of transparency, Ritter didn’t think to invite her to his press conference unveiling his “pointless” and “weak” executive order.  Maybe he thought she would say no.