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 […]
Michael Fields
Posted inCrime and Courts, News, Politics and Government
Group files 11th-hour lawsuit seeking to block one of three questions on Colorado’s statewide ballot this year
The head of a liberal-leaning fiscal policy organization and a Summit County commissioner filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to block one of three statewide measures set to appear on the November ballot, arguing the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office inappropriately approved the question and that any votes for it shouldn’t be counted. Scott Wasserman, of […]
Posted inBusiness, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Republicans aren’t winning many elections these days, so they’re turning to ballot questions instead
When Democrats in the Colorado legislature this year unveiled their marquee bill to enact new transportation fees to pay for road and transit projects, the measure’s conservative opponents had a quick, confident response: See you at the ballot box. The opposition wasn’t necessarily talking about trying to unseat Democrats, however. They were vowing to bring […]
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 inEconomy, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Democrats want to use one of TABOR’s most effective tax-halting mechanisms for themselves
One of the most effective parts of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights when it comes to stopping tax-raising ballot questions in Colorado is a requirement that voters be informed, IN CAPITAL LETTERS, about the eye-popping sum they are deciding whether to allow the government to collect. “SHALL STATE TAXES BE INCREASED $766,700,000 ANNUALLY FOR A […]
Posted inElection 2020, Politics and Government
The 2020 election untied and retied the fiscal knot in Colorado with decisions on Gallagher and taxes
On the same ballot that cemented statewide Democratic power not seen since 1936, Colorado’s voters once again sent their elected leaders mixed messages on taxes and spending. They voted to raise taxes in one measure, and cut them in another. They authorized expansive new social programs, while limiting the state’s ability to afford the programs […]
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 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, […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
The political stakes for Proposition CC are huge. It’s a test case for a major fiscal overhaul in Colorado.
This November, Proposition CC will ask Colorado voters to permanently lift the spending limits in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, but the political stakes embedded in the question are even more consequential. The ballot question represents the most significant overhaul to TABOR since voters approved the constitutional provision in 1992, and serves as a test […]
Posted inEducation, Politics and Government, Transportation
Democratic lawmakers want to ask voters in 2019 to end TABOR cap, but Polis is not so sure
Top Democratic lawmakers want to ask Colorado voters this November to permanently set aside the spending cap in the state’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. House Speaker KC Becker is drafting a measure to put a question on the 2019 ballot that would allow the state to keep as much as $960 million in projected revenues […]