From The Denver Post:
By Mark Hillman
Last year’s lawsuit binge by the Colorado legislature is only getting worse.
Rather than use the executive branch to enforce laws (like we learned in school), legislators continue to write bills using private lawsuits for enforcement. That means our laws are enforced not by an agency with experience handling a specific type of claim. Instead, enforcement lawsuits encourage anyone who believes she was wronged to file a lawsuit against the supposed offender.
This is poor public policy because billboard lawyers have little accountability and judges are left to sort out all manner of claims from employment disputes to environmental regulations. While executive branch “bureaucrats” may make mistakes, at least they are accountable to the governor who appointed them and to the legislature that controls their purse strings.
In 2023, a record 25 bills used private lawsuit enforcement, according to Common Sense Institute. As of March 14, at least 37 such bills have been introduced this year. read more…