Special to The Colorado Sun
PERA’s investments generated billions in 2020. But the Colorado pension’s financial condition worsened.
Banner stock market generated 17.4% returns on PERA’s investments. But it wasn’t enough to cover $3.1 billion in new costs the pension expects following a demographic study.
A guide to how Amendment 23, “the budget stabilization factor” and “the negative factor” shape education spending in Colorado
The Sun’s Capitol Sunlight project helps Coloradans understand how the state’s political systems and spending work
Colorado’s state budget drives decisions that affect us all, but it’s long and complicated. We’re here to help.
The Colorado Sun’s Capitol Sunlight project will help you make sense of the budget and how money is spent.
More contribution hikes, benefit cuts may be needed to close $4.5 billion hole in Colorado’s PERA
PERA’s board of directors on Friday voted unanimously to change key economic and demographic assumptions that underpin the pension’s already shaky finances.
The 2020 election untied and retied the fiscal knot in Colorado with decisions on Gallagher and taxes
In the 2020 election, the fickle Colorado electorate sent mixed messages on taxes and spending with big implications for the future
Proposition 117 explained: Colorado voters would have more control over government fees
The use of enterprise fees to fund government programs has ballooned since the passage of TABOR made tax hikes harder to get approved.
Amendment B explained: What repealing the Gallagher Amendment would mean for Colorado and your property taxes
Colorado lawmakers voted in bipartisan fashion to ask voters to remove the constitutional amendment, but didn’t offer a replacement plan
Colorado state budget could escape “worst of the worst,” latest economic estimates show
Still, rising demand and cost of state government services means reserves may not fill the gap and could force more budget cuts next year
Amendment B puts spotlight on Gallagher’s mixed legacy of budget cuts, tax relief and inequality in Colorado
A new Colorado Sun analysis of state property tax data determined that Gallagher has exacerbated Colorado’s urban-rural divide, gashing public budgets in small communities that already struggle to afford essential services.
Gov. Jared Polis praises Republican-backed ballot question to lower Colorado income taxes
Initiative 306 would reduce state tax revenues by more than $300 million in the next two fiscal years just as the state budget is crunched by the coronavirus
Colorado’s new redistricting process needs you — yes, you — to help decide the political districts
A look at how the new redistricting commissions are selected and how they will draw new congressional and legislative maps in Colorado
As the financial crisis hits Colorado, PERA’s new oversight commission is sidelined
Top Colorado lawmakers said the move was intended to save $100,000 in the $30.3 billion state budget, but critics suggest it's a bad idea
Now that Colorado lawmakers have put Gallagher repeal on the ballot, will they actually be able to pass it?
Already trouble signs are emerging signaling that would-be allies lack the enthusiasm needed to sell the 2020 electorate on a difficult ballot question
Before coronavirus, PERA had one of its best years in decades. Here are 3 concerns going forward.
Colorado’s state pension system in 2019 had one its best years in decades, then the recession hit.
Amid budget crunch, Colorado nets much-needed windfall for road projects with strong debt sale
The market for bond-like debt has shrugged off the pandemic crisis, allowing the Colorado transportation agency to avoid draconian budget cuts
Gallagher led to $35 billion in residential property tax cuts. Now Colorado lawmakers want voters to repeal it.
A measure at the Capitol to put the question on the 2020 ballot appears fast-tracked for passage with bipartisan support
To balance budget, Colorado lawmakers add to PERA’s long-term debt and backtrack from landmark deal
The Joint Budget Committee eliminated a $225 million payment from the state to the pension in the next fiscal year
Coronavirus may trigger the second-largest property tax cut in Colorado history, further crippling local budgets
The reductions under Colorado’s Gallagher Amendment would slash total school district revenue by an estimated $491 million. Fire districts would also be hard hit.
Against uncertain backdrop, the tax overhaul backed by Colorado’s governor and state lawmakers limps ahead
Gov. Jared Polis announced a task force in January to study the state’s tax breaks, building on the General Assembly’s efforts, but it may stall
Colorado scrutinizes oil and gas tax breaks as severance taxes drop and the state budget gets tight
A recent legislative analysis finds the Colorado oil and gas industry pays second lowest severance tax rate among nine Western states
