On November 8, 1988, 72% of Colorado voters approved the Give-a-vote-to-every-legislator, a.k.a. GAVEL amendment to the Colorado Constitution. The amendment was sponsored by Citizens for legislative reform, a broad coalition of organizations and individuals focused on amending three significant legislative procedures. GAVEL eliminated the House Rules Committee, providing bills would go directly from a standing committee to the House or Senate floor. It prohibited binding party caucuses. Finally, the amendment eliminated the practice of pocket vetoes by committee chairs, requiring a hearing and a vote on each bill as long as the bill was alive in the legislative process. Motivation for the amendment came from a Republican binding caucus decision in 1987 to enact a broadly encompassing series of budget actions which eliminated several important programs. This decision was made before any public hearings had taken place. Additionally, the use of pocket vetoes of numerous bills by committee chairs eventually led to the GAVEL amendment's passage.
From the description of GAVEL amendment records, 1987-2003 [manuscript]. (Denver Public Library). WorldCat record id: 760108335
