A massive, one-time influx of federal dollars has given Coloradans a glimpse of what a robustly funded state government looks like. The federal American Rescue Plan Act, passed in the spring of 2021, brought billions of dollars to Colorado, enabling policymakers over the past two years to simultaneously fund long-recognized priorities like housing, the caring […]
taxes
Posted inEducation, News
Colorado voters to decide to limit tax exemptions to fund free school lunch expansion
Colorado voters will decide this November whether to cover the cost of school meals for all students. All Colorado students have had access to free lunch over the last two years thanks to pandemic-related federal waivers that are set to expire this summer. During that time, many school districts reported more students eating lunch, sometimes as […]
Posted inEconomy, Housing, News, Politics and Government
Property tax arms race involving Colorado power players grips Capitol as fragile deal starts to deteriorate
A property tax arms race involving some of the state’s most powerful people is unfolding behind the scenes at the Colorado Capitol in the final days of the 2022 lawmaking term, jeopardizing a fragile deal unveiled this week. The deal, backed by the governor and negotiated over several weeks, would reduce projected property tax increases […]
Posted inNews
Colorado governor, lawmakers unveil plan to slash property taxes by $700M to head off business group’s ballot measure
Colorado property owners would get a $700 million break on their rising tax bills over the next two years under a plan unveiled Monday by Gov. Jared Polis and state lawmakers that’s aimed at preventing a business group from pursuing an even larger reduction in November. The legislature, in a deal reached in the final […]
Posted inNews
Democrats avoid Jared Polis in quest to ensure Coloradans get the full picture on income tax changes
Democrats in the Colorado legislature want to ensure voters are informed about how changes to the state’s income tax rate would affect the amount of money they must pay the government. But proponents of the effort must go around Gov. Jared Polis to do it. Senate Bill 222, which was introduced last week, would refer […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Housing, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Democrats aim to quickly pass property tax relief to head off ballot measure from business group, conservatives
The debate over how to tackle rising property taxes is poised to dominate the final days of Colorado’s 2022 legislative session, as Gov. Jared Polis, Democratic lawmakers and Colorado Concern, a deep-pocketed business organization, hastily negotiate a plan to provide relief that’s sufficient but that doesn’t also deny local governments billions in future funding. With […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado’s governor, Democrats unveil plan to advance TABOR refund checks expected in spring 2023
Coloradans would receive their tax refunds for the current fiscal year up to eight months early under a bill unveiled Monday by Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic state lawmakers. Individual taxpayers would receive $400 under the plan while families would get $800. The money would be sent out as soon as August — before the […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Education, News, Politics and Government
Debate over wording of 2022 ballot measure could have multibillion-dollar consequences for Colorado schools
A wonky battle playing out over the language in a potential 2022 ballot measure could have multibillion-dollar consequences for property owners and school- and local-district funding across Colorado. The state’s Title Board, which is housed in the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office and decides how ballot measures are worded, has ruled that a business-backed 2022 […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Ballot measure would steer part of TABOR tax refunds to Colorado schools
Colorado voters could be asked to forgo a portion of expected tax refunds in order to steer more money to the state’s schools. Advocates filed paperwork Thursday to place an initiative on the November ballot that could generate somewhere between $820 million and $1.1 billion for K-12 schools without raising taxes. It would be the […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: ProPublica had no business revealing Polis’ tax returns
If you follow politics at all, I am sure that by this point you’ve likely heard about the ProPublica article on Jared Polis’ not paying income tax. As much as I enjoy seeing a politician whose policy I object to being called out in the press, part of that glee was tempered by a distaste […]