A bipartisan effort to clarify how much money political nonprofits can spend supporting or opposing Colorado ballot measures before they have to disclose their donors would likely allow the so-called dark-money groups to keep their finances secret in most cases. Two political nonprofits that often work against each other on Colorado ballot initiatives — the […]
ballot measures
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: The state has collected more money than it legally can spend. Let’s invest some of it in teachers
If not now, when? If not us, who? Those are the questions that compelled us to action. As public-school graduates, parents and advocates, the two of us agreed earlier this year to be the proponents for a proposed citizens ballot initiative that would set aside certain revenues already collected by the state to be used […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Zornio: Colorado’s 2021 elections are too important to skip. Here are my picks
It’s the best time of year in Colorado: yellowing aspens, cool mountain air and ballots arriving effortlessly by mail. As a state, we feature one of the most robust vote-by-mail systems in the nation. Regrettably, off-cycle elections can still see a drop in turnout, and sometimes lead to changes that may not otherwise reflect the […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Growth, Housing, News, Politics and Government
Colorado election 2021 guide: What you need to know about the ballot initiatives and how to cast your vote
Colorado voters will decide Nov. 2 whether to approve a slate of statewide and local ballot initiatives, as well as pick the members of their local school boards. Here’s what you need to know to participate: When do I need to mail my ballot back? County clerks can begin mailing out ballots Oct. 8, and […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Third and final measure qualifies for Colorado’s 2021 statewide ballot
Colorado voters will decide whether the legislature should have more control over how money from legal settlements and the federal government is spent after a third and final measure qualified to be on the statewide ballot in November. The signatures turned in to the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office by proponents of Initiative 19 were […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Supreme Court rejects animal cruelty ballot measure strongly opposed by farmers, ranchers
The Colorado Supreme Court on Monday rejected a proposed 2022 ballot question on animal cruelty, saying the measure seeking to define common ranching and farming practices as sex acts violates a clause in the state constitution. The court specifically ruled that Initiative 16 violates the Colorado constitution’s single-subject requirement, which says a ballot question or […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: The LEAP ballot initiative can help Colorado kids soar
As the “light at the end of the tunnel” of the COVID-19 pandemic comes more clearly into focus, we’re all beginning to look forward to returning to something that more closely resembles normal. For many Coloradans, that includes the return to in-person school. Our educators and students (not to mention their families) have worked tirelessly […]
Posted inBusiness, Coloradans, Health, Politics and Government
Health care magnate Kent Thiry wants to fix democracy, starting in Colorado
By Rae Ellen Bichell, Kaiser Health News In the final weeks before the Nov. 3 election, supporters of an in-the-weeds effort to overturn a tax law in Colorado received a cascade of big checks, for a grand total of more than $2 million. All came from Kent Thiry, the former CEO of DaVita, one of […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
Top spenders on Colorado ballot measures all claimed victory in 2020 election, new reports show
Dark-money nonprofits, a discount tobacco company and wealthy donors fueled the costly ballot initiative contests in Colorado, and the side that spent the most won all the contested races. The most expensive ballot measure was Proposition 115, a proposed ban on abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy that voters soundly rejected, 59% to 41%, at […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
How the 11 statewide ballot measures fared in Colorado. In short, it’s a split verdict.
Colorado voters made decisions on a roster of major policy positions that liberal and conservative interests put on the 2020 ballot. A number of the questions appeared confusing to voters — particularly the fiscal ones — and tens of thousands voted on the top candidates but not the ballot measures, an analysis shows. Here’s a […]