Legislative staff present options for NCSL, CSG West and ECS dues; vote deferred to next week

Legislative Council staff presented a review of dues the General Assembly pays to state legislative organizations and outlined options for the committee to consider at its next meeting.

Natalie Castle, Legislative Council staff, told the committee Colorado currently pays about $251,000 for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). She said Colorado’s payment to the Council of State Governments West (CSG West) this year is about $162,000, which the presentation described as roughly 65–70% of full dues (about 68% this year). Castle also reported that Education Commission of the States (ECS) dues are $77,300 and that the Energy Council—an organization Colorado left a few years ago—would charge $38,400 to rejoin.

Castle presented options including keeping Colorado’s share flat (which would reduce the percentage of full CSG West dues paid), increasing the payment by an inflation forecast (Legislative Council staff’s 2026 inflation forecast at 3.1% would raise the CSG West payment to about $167,000), or increasing by the same percentage that full dues rose (a cited 5% figure). Castle noted the packet included memos from NCSL and CSG West about services provided in 2025 and a staff participation history for conferences and training.

Castle said the committee is not being asked to vote on dues at this meeting and will take a formal vote next week to finalize the General Assembly’s budget request; she asked members to review the materials and the staff participation data before the vote.

The presentation did not include a committee decision on whether to change participation in the Energy Council; Castle said the legislature previously dropped Energy Council participation and rejoining would require paying the stated dues.

The committee will consider the dues question and record any formal motion and vote at the next meeting.