A measure on Colorado’s November ballot asks voters to change the way the state approves spending money from the federal government, legal settlements and other non-state sources. Amendment 78 would require the Colorado General Assembly to determine how the state uses what it defines as “custodial money,” funding the state receives from outside sources for […]
Colorado Rising Action
Posted inEconomy, News, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers launch last-minute effort to drive down property taxes and combat skyrocketing assessments
State lawmakers on Wednesday introduced an eleventh-hour bill to temporarily reduce property tax assessment rates, hoping to help Coloradans contend with skyrocketing real estate prices and the rising property tax bills that follow. The measure, Senate Bill 293, would also allow people to put off a portion of their increased residential property tax payments until […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
Proposition 117 explained: Colorado voters would have more control over government fees
It’s the rare point of bipartisan agreement in Colorado politics where public spending is concerned: Since the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights took effect in 1992, state lawmakers have increasingly turned to fees to fund government operations. But how you feel about that development, depends on your politics. To the left, it’s an unfortunate side effect […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
John Hickenlooper’s legal defense against ethics complaint cost taxpayers $150,000, a final tally shows
Taxpayers spent $150,000 to defend former Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper’s against an ethics complaint that led to two violations of the state’s gift ban, records show. The final cost of the legal expenses matches the maximum allowed in a contract with Mark Grueskin. The prominent Democratic election attorney represented Hickenlooper on behalf of the state […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Oil and gas bankruptcies are problematic for Colorado taxpayers
In the early morning hours of June 15, 2020, Extraction Oil and Gas, Inc. filed its long-awaited bankruptcy in federal district court. I say “long-awaited” because my organization has been litigating cases against Extraction since January 2019, and we have raised numerous concerns about the financial viability of the company in front of the Colorado […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Now that Colorado lawmakers have put Gallagher repeal on the ballot, will they actually be able to pass it?
When the General Assembly two years ago agreed to study the state’s dysfunctional property tax code, reform advocates were optimistic that years of warnings would finally lead to action. A bipartisan panel came up with a variety of options to repeal and replace the Gallagher Amendment, the constitutional measure that for decades has squeezed essential […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: The climate disrupters are coming out of the woodwork, and they aren’t afraid
I had an opportunity to speak with the parents of a young activist, Ezra Kone, who was arrested along with 38 protesters at the Colorado State Capitol on Thursday morning. Ezra’s parents were at the Denver Detention Center the next day and though ready to post bail, they could not get direct answers about what […]
Posted inEducation, Politics and Government, Transportation
$10 million poured into 2019 election, but big money couldn’t push Proposition CC to passage
Advocates for Proposition CC outspent the opposition by more than double but still lost in the statewide November election. The two campaign committees behind the ballot question — Coloradans for Prosperity and Great Education Colorado — spent a combined $4.5 million on the failed effort, according to final campaign finance reports filed late last week. […]
Posted inBusiness, Education, Politics and Government, Transportation
The next fiscal fight in Colorado starts now: A bid to repeal TABOR and one to raise taxes on top earners
Colorado voters rejected a bid to remove the spending caps in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — but the fiscal fight is only expected to get more intense in the next year. One interest group is considering a repeal of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and another is testing ideas for a graduated tax system […]
Posted inEducation, Politics and Government, Transportation
Meet the million-dollar man behind Proposition CC on Colorado’s 2019 ballot
Dan Ritchie made a prophetic declaration four and a half years ago. In a conference room filled with Colorado policy leaders, the former University of Denver chancellor moderated a discussion with experts who lamented the state’s dismal rankings for spending on education, colleges and transportation. But no one had an easy solution. Out of nowhere, […]