There are numerous bills introduced annually in the legislature that affect every architect or every firm in the state—sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidently. Common topics of interest to architects include licensing, lawsuits/liability, business management and general regulation of the built environment.
When the decision gets made for AIA Colorado to support or oppose legislation, there are a number of strategies we can employ. Sometimes it’s as simple as joining forces with another organization with similar legislative priorities. Often the most effective strategy however, is you, our members getting involved to make a difference.
Contact Nikolaus Remus, AIA, Advocacy Engagement Director, to find out how you can start advocating today.
Every bill is first reviewed by a small group of legislators in a public committee hearing. Our members who are affected by the bill can testify on the real-world implications if the bill were to be passed. AIA Colorado supports members who testify by providing them with talking points and opportunities to contact their legislators.
To maximize our effectiveness at the state level, we need to build and maintain relationships with our legislators. This is a two-part effort that succeeds when AIA Colorado and our members work in tandem.
Legislators want to know how large groups of people are affected by the work they do at the state level. AIA Colorado, as a membership organization of 2,400 design professionals, is able to speak to legislators about the collective impact of issues on the architecture profession.
These conversations are not about partisanship, but rather how a policy will affect architects and the architecture profession as a whole. This makes it possible to focus on specific issues with legislators, regardless of how our members may vote on their own ballots. Legislators understand this separation and appreciate the insight architects can offer. We also know that in Colorado, our priorities as a profession don’t clearly align with either political party.
AIA Colorado also works closely with our lobbyist, Jerry Johnson. Johnson has 40 years’ experience lobbying on architects’ behalf and is an integral part of all our advocacy efforts, whether it’s advancing our efforts on specific bills or helping build relationships between members and legislators.
The most effective for a member to advocate at the state level is by reaching out to your representative and senator as a constituent. Regularly attending their public events, asking questions, and sharing your opinions can go a long way towards building a rapport and advancing efforts that benefit and protect architects. Our legislators know they aren’t experts on every topic, so they rely on informed constituents, like you, to help them understand details on a subject they haven’t considered.
When AIA Colorado makes a decision to formally support or oppose a bill, we need your help. Legislators want to hear from people who can offer particular insight on a bill and who are directly affected by it. Regardless of your prior experience as an advocate, we have the tools and resources to help you make a difference.
If you see an architecture-related bill introduced that you’re passionate about, please contact us to discuss the possibility of AIA Colorado taking a position and taking action.
Every legislative session, AIA Colorado shares regular updates on bills we’re monitoring or have taken a position on. Take a look at our annual legislative session summary. The Legislative Subcommittee uses a four-tier system to rank a bill’s importance to the architecture profession:
It is recommended that AIA Colorado take specific action on a bill, including committee testimony, asking our members to contact their legislators, public position statements, and other similar actions.
It is recommended that AIA Colorado partner with other organizations advocating for or against this bill, and conduct targeted outreach to legislative allies.
It is recommended that AIA Colorado share information about this bill with our members who may be affected, note where there are conflicting opinions, and include this information in our Annual Legislative Session Summary report.
This bill does not affect the architecture profession and there is no recommendation for AIA Colorado to take a position or action. Tier 4 bills are typically excluded from our tracking list, except when there is a possibility that the bill could be amended in such a way that it may affect the profession.