Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel

“For years Coloradans have had an effective consumer watchdog whose sole mission is to advocate for consumers.”

Danny Katz with CoPIRG, the Colorado Public Interest Research Group says that Colorado consumers will be the ones who lose out if the state legislature fails the reauthorize the Colorado Office of Consumer Counsel.

Lawmakers voted the OCC into existence in 1984 but state statute requires that it be reauthorized by lawmakers every few years. Katz says that over the last 30 years, the OCC has saved Coloradans $1.7 billion on gas, electric and telecommunication issues. A senate re authorization bill removed telecommunications from the scope of the OCC authority. CoPIRG recently released a report showing that some areas of the state pay four times more for 911 services than others and rates have increased by 44 percent overall since 1998. Katz says that highlights why telecommunications should remain under the umbrella of the OCC.

Governor John Hickenlooper last week called on lawmakers to reauthorize the OCC.