Under Amendment E, around 490 Gold Star spouses who do not otherwise qualify for the exemption will now be eligible for the property tax break
Colorado Legislative Council
Posted inElection 2022
Amendment E: Colorado’s homestead property tax exemption would be extended to Gold Star spouses
Colorado voters will see Amendment E on their ballots this 2022 election. Here’s what it would do, plus the arguments for and against.
Posted inPolitics and Government
Colorado’s state budget drives decisions that affect us all, but it’s long and complicated. We’re here to help.
Schools, roads, parks. The cost of college and health care. How much you pay in taxes. No matter what issue you care about in Colorado, chances are the state budget plays a large role in its fate. The good news: following the budget process from home is easier than ever thanks to live-streamed government meetings […]
Posted inElection 2020, News, Politics and Government
Colorado needs more people to help redraw political maps. And lack of diversity remains an issue.
Colorado officials anticipated a diverse group of more than 1,000 applicants would be interested in serving on each of two panels voters created to redraw electoral representation districts. Instead, they got a fraction of that number and a group that does not reflect the diversity of the state. That sparse response has led officials and […]
Posted inElection 2020, News, Politics and Government
Can you trust the blue book? Colorado officials say they prioritize nonpartisanship in analyzing ballot questions
Colorado voters this year are tasked with making informed decisions on a labyrinth of ballot issues and a polarized pallet of races. To help them navigate the statewide ballot measures, the state provides what is known as the blue book, a roughly 90-page guide that looks at the legal, fiscal and practical implications of the […]
Posted inBusiness, Politics and Government
Colorado state budget could escape “worst of the worst,” latest economic estimates show
Colorado could be spared billions in additional state budget cuts under new economic forecasts released Friday with one crucial caveat: As long as new viral outbreaks don’t send the economy back into a tailspin. “I think today’s forecast is going to spare us the worst of the worst,” Lauren Larson, the governor’s budget director, told […]
Posted inBusiness, Energy, Environment, Politics and Government
Colorado scrutinizes oil and gas tax breaks as severance taxes drop and the state budget gets tight
This year, an oil and gas tax break is expected to grow so large — and gas prices drop so low — that many of Colorado’s oil wells would owe the state $0 in severance taxes. Consider it the $308 million elephant in the room as Colorado lawmakers reassess the state’s crumbling fiscal picture amid […]
Posted inCOVID, Politics and Government
The economic impact of the coronavirus is huge. Now Colorado lawmakers are looking at a budget deficit.
The economic decline resulting from the coronavirus pandemic is projected to put a significant hole in the state budget, a new reality that forces Colorado lawmakers to rethink the entire $32 billion spending plan. A forecast released Monday suggests a $1.5 billion decline in state tax revenue over the next three years as a result […]
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Taxpayers are only covering Democrats’ legal fees in a partisan Colorado legislature lawsuit. Republicans say that’s unfair.
Colorado lawmakers are sparring over the use of taxpayer money to pay for legal costs in a partisan lawsuit confronting what both sides say is a critical question about the state constitution. The hangup: Taxpayers are only paying for the Democrats’ representation, to the tune of about $40,000 and counting, more than half of which […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
Three budget numbers that will set the tone for the 2020 legislative session in Colorado
Colorado lawmakers are adjusting to a new reality when it comes to the state budget: The boom years are over. A pair of forecasts presented Friday to state budget writers suggests the state’s economy will continue to grow, but it will come at a slower rate, which will limit discretionary government spending in the future. […]