Category Archives: Colorado Legislature

Dec 21

Herman: Course correction needed for Colorado’s economic outlook

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December 20, 2024 By Nash Herman

The University of Colorado’s Leeds School of Business recently released their 60th annual Business Outlook for 2025, and, despite a moderate outlook  in 2025, the report includes some disturbing trends in the Colorado economy.  Let’s take a look at some of what’s going wrong.

Troubling trends

As pointed out by Denver Post business writer Aldo Svaldi, Colorado was the fifth fastest growing economy in the country in the last 15 years, but was 41st this year.

In terms of personal income growth, Colorado moved from third to 39th.

Although Colorado only moved down from sixth to 15th for employment growth, it comes with the caveat that the job gains this year were skewed toward government, education and healthcare, and leisure and hospitality.

Conversely, the growth of the high-paying professional and business services industry has continued a downward trend since 2022.

Fueled by slowing migration to Colorado and an aging population, Colorado’s labor force growth ranking also moved from sixth to 29th.

Taxes, spending and regulation

Obviously, some of the problems with Colorado’s economy are externally caused, like the lingering effects of the pandemic and subsequent inflation from federal spending.

However, I think there is still more to be said as to why Colorado’s economy seems to be stuttering now.

Colorado’s shift toward bigger government and away from the free market is why these problems are beginning to manifest. Over-regulation, over-spending, and over-taxation are the key culprits. To Coloradans who have witnessed the economy’s decline, the most noticeable difference between today and twenty years ago is that the state now more closely resembles California more than the entrepreneurial Colorado of old. Continue reading →

Nov 25

Perspective: Taxes — by another name

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Perspective: Taxes — by another name

  • By Lang Sias

Since 2018, Colorado taxpayers have benefited from two reductions to the state income tax that together have brought the rate from 4.63% to 4.4%, for an aggregate reduction of 0.23%. These reductions have been much heralded by state government leaders and have elicited approving comments from a wide range of observers.

The applause for these tax cuts, however, has obscured a separate tactic that state leaders increasingly have used to extract revenue from Coloradans in amounts that dwarf the income tax reductions. During the last two decades, Coloradans have seen a steady increase in the fees paid to a wide range of state enterprises. The pattern has accelerated dramatically since 2018.

According to a recent Common Sense Institute study, fee-based revenue to enterprises has increased since 2018 by an amount equivalent to a 0.51% increase in the state income tax — so, more than double the recent tax cuts. If Colorado’s fee enterprises, minus higher education, were instead funded by the state income tax, the state income tax would increase to 7.68%, a 75% increase over the current rate of 4.4%.

Continue reading →

Nov 10

More Evidence for the TABOR Spending Cap

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November 9, 2024 by Dan Mitchell

Last April, I shared some data showing that Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights had forced politicians in the Centennial State to return $8.2 billion of tax revenue.

The state’s politicians did not want to return the money. But TABOR is a spending cap and the rules require that any extra tax revenue (above and beyond what would finance allowed levels of spending) has to be returned to taxpayers.

This spending cap has been good news for the state’s economy, as illustrated by the chart.

But I now need to update the benefits of TABOR.

That’s because we have another year of data. And, as explained in this report from Center Square, taxpayers are getting another refund. This time, their savings will be more than $1 billion. Continue reading →

Nov 01

Article X, Section 20. The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights

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If you see this on your ballot, you are voting for a TAX INCREASE!

“Ballot titles for tax or bonded debt increases shall begin, “SHALL (DISTRICT) TAXES BE INCREASED (first, or if phased in, final, full fiscal year dollar increase) ANNUALLY…?” or “SHALL (DISTRICT) DEBT BE INCREASED (principal amount), WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF (maximum total district cost), …?”

https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/laws/COConstitution/ArticleXSection20.html 

Oct 15

Colorado owes taxpayers $1.7 billion in TABOR refunds

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ColoradoStateCapitolBuilding01.jpg
FILE PHOTO: The Colorado Capitol’s gold dome gleams in the sun in Denver.The Denver Gazette

The Colorado state government owes taxpayers a total of $1.7 billion in refunds mandated under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

The state collected roughly $1.4 billion more in revenue during the 2024 Fiscal Year than allowed under TABOR, according to a state audit. The state already has roughly $290 million in outstanding TABOR refund liability at the beginning of the fiscal year, bringing the total refund amount to about $1.66 billion.

Passed by voters in 1992, TABOR limits the annual growth in revenue to the inflation rate, plus population change. Any amount raised above the limit must be returned to taxpayers.

Click (HERE) to continue reading this story.

Vote NO On 1A

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Property tax caps have been restored in Colorado. That’s thanks to the pressure from the Citizens’ Tax Cap, compelling state politicians to address the property tax crisis in an August 2024 Legislative Special Session because local governments didn’t lower the property tax mill levies and alleviate the problem.

The property tax crisis was created because voters in local elections in the past has unwittingly voted to forfeit caps in our constitutional Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) and statutory 5.5% Annual Property Tax Cap, recognizing later it was a big mistake. State politicians had mixed feelings about the 2024 Special Session, fiscally conservative legislators thought that HB 24B-1001 didn’t provide enough assurance that residents would not be taxed out of homes. Some “progressive” elected officials thought it was horrible to provide property tax relief in response to a citizen initiative, calling it a “fecal sandwich”.

Jefferson County, like Arapahoe and Weld, has maintained tax caps for over 30 years due to vigilant citizens rejecting misleading ballot issues, such as 1A in 2019 and 2022. However, this is at risk again with a new version of 1A on the 2024 ballot. This version, like before, uses deceptive language and aims to permanently remove these caps.

The key is to share this information quickly and widely. Remind your friends and networks to vote NO on 1A to preserve the caps. Ballots will arrive around October 14-15.

The recent legislative special session caused by the Citizen’s Tax Cap implemented two key changes:

  1. Local taxing agencies (e.g. county or special district) now face a 5.25% cap on property tax increases (6% for schools).
  2. Any ballot measure after November 5, 2024, to remove these limits must clearly state, “Shall the _______ (name of government) waive the 5.25% property tax limit for…” and specify the duration.

Jefferson County’s 1A, being set before this date, skirts these new transparency rules.

Governments often use tax dollars for public persuasion campaigns and exploit legal loopholes during election seasons to get away with it. I recently discussed this in an interview with Free State Colorado, which you can watch here.

The past proponents of Jeffco 1A tax hikes even resorted to tainting our local TABOR notice booklet in 2019. The shenanigans didn’t stop there.

Our current county commissioners Andy Kerr, Lesley Dahlkemper, and Tracy Kraft-Tharp, have stepped up the attack on taxpayers’ wallets using a $340,000 taxpayer-funded political strategist, and continue to push their intentionally misleading ballot language to eliminate the caps.

Voters must reject this behavior. Vote NO on Jefferson County 1A to keep tax caps in place.

– Property owners: Vote no to avoid excessively higher property taxes year after year.

– Renters: Rising property taxes will be passed on as rent increases, making housing less affordable.

– Consumers: Higher business property taxes will raise prices for goods and services.

 

Vote NO on 1A to protect yourself from excessively increasing costs. If you can’t afford more at the grocery store, gas pump, insurance bill, or rent – you sure can’t afford removing property tax caps forever. Even if you can afford excessive taxes, can your neighbor on a fixed income handle it or your grandkids?

If you’d like to find out more information, please join these informative meetings hosted by taxpayer advocacy non-profits:

  • Arvada Library, 7525 W. 57th Avenue, Arvada
    October 7, 5:30 – 7:30 pm
  • Columbine Library, 7706 W. Bowles Avenue, Littleton
    October 12, 10 am – 12 pm
Aug 31

Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%

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Colorado’s fee-based enterprises skirt TABOR, increase revenue by 3,000%

State-owned enterprises increase fees from 46% of total state spending in 1996 to 71% in 2023

In 1992 voters enacted the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to constrain the growth of government by requiring voter approval for tax increases. Since then, the state government has built a new structure to avoid that requirement.

The creation of TABOR-exempt state-owned “enterprises” has allowed government to increase fees from 46% of total state spending in 1996 to 71% of state spending in 2023 without requiring approval from taxpayers, according to a new report released by the Common Sense Institute, a non-partisan research organization “dedicated to the protection and promotion of Colorado’s economy.”

“Fees are a rapidly growing and significant cost for Coloradans,” said Kelly Caufield, Executive Director of the Common Sense Institute. “At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if we call it a tax or a fee, these costs are driving the cost of living in our state.”

Continue reading →

Aug 30

Menten: Weighing in on local TABOR measures for the 2024 ballot

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2024 Election, Elections, Natalie Menten, TABOR, Uncategorized

Menten: Weighing in on local TABOR measures for the 2024 ballot

August 29, 2024 By Natalie Menten

 

One great, though lesser-known benefit provided in the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) is the local ballot issue notice. This guide is sent by mail at least 30-days before the election to all households with one or more registered voters.

The notice includes details about upcoming local ballot measures that increase taxes, add debt, or suspend TABOR revenue limits. It includes a section where registered voters have the opportunity to submit FOR or AGAINST comments, up to 500 words each.

You should know that there are actually two types of TABOR ballot issue notices. One notice is for the statewide measures and commonly referred to as the “Blue Book.” The notice discussed here is for elections held by local governments such as a city, town, school district, or special taxing district. It’s important to know the difference as you could potentially get more than one of these notices in the mail.

Several years back, it was discovered that out that of some 300 local tax issues throughout the state, only 15 had the taxpayer’s voice printed in a ballot issue notice.  That’s only 5 percent!  You can make a big difference and amplify your voice by being an author of the next ballot issue notice where you live.  Considering that you reach thousands of voters, submitting comments in the TABOR notice costs almost nothing and takes relatively little time and energy.

What follows is an explanation of how to participate in the local ballot issue comment process. As in so much of government bureaucracy, instructions must be followed with no room for alteration.  The deadline for this year is Friday, September 20 no later than noon to have your comments included in the local TABOR notice. Continue reading →

Aug 10

Study finds special interest tax deals eating up Coloradans’ TABOR refunds

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Study finds special interest tax deals eating up Coloradans’ TABOR refunds

August 9, 2024 By Savana Kascak

 

DENVER–Governor Jared Polis has consistently said he wants to lower the Colorado income tax, even claiming that legislation passed earlier this year would deliver on that promise.  But new research shows that billions of dollars in special interest tax breaks also passed this year in all likelihood means broad-based income tax relief is off the table for the foreseeable future.

Earlier this year, Governor Polis signed Senate Bill 24-228, temporarily lowering the state income tax rate, on a sliding scale, as a refund mechanism when surplus revenue under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) is more than $300 million in a given fiscal year, with the maximum rate reduction (from 4.40% to 4.25%) kicking in at a $1.5 billion surplus.

TABOR is a constitutional amendment that requires, among other things, state revenues collected in excess of of a formula of population growth plus inflation be refunded back to taxpayers, unless voters consent to forgo those refunds at the ballot box.  An income tax rate reduction is but one potential refund mechanism available to the state. Continue reading →

Aug 07

TABOR Media Statement About HD24-1311

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MEDIA RELEASE

Contact:

            Penn Pfiffner

TABOR Committee Chairman

303-233-7731 or 303-747-7460

constecon@hotmail.com

 or info@TheTaborCommittee.com

August 8, 2024

Today the TABOR Committee relinquished hope that people would be able to vote on saving their TABOR refunds.  “There were simply not enough time and resources to collect the signatures in time for a citizen’s veto,” said Committee Director Rebecca Sopkin, who filed the ballot measure to repeal the 2024 law.

A new law establishes a new income redistribution program using about half of everyone’s TABOR refund.

TABOR was never meant to be an instrument to redistribute income.  Tax rates were to be adjusted downward to eliminate any permanent over-collections.  Refunds are legally a return of state sales taxes.    “The constitution specifically calls for returning over-collected taxes to those who pay the taxes.  You can’t tell me that someone making $15,000 a year bought $110,000 of taxable goods,” observed Committee chairman Penn Pfiffner.  The State does not impose sales taxes on purchase of housing, food or medicine.

 

The Committee explained that the income redistribution only happens if there is a TABOR refund and so why, if this program is so important to proponents, did legislators fail to place it under the general fund budget?

 

The measure, HD24-1311, diverts $684 million in the first year, using planned TABOR refunds to impose again the federal COVID program of subsidies to low-income families with children, but using new taxpayer funds at the state level.

The program will send money to recipients even beyond the taxes that the person pays.  Eligible people do not have to be taxpayers.  They do not have to be citizens!  They do not even have to reside in the state all year!

Legislators are ignoring a very important message by citizens in the landslide vote last fall against Proposition HH.  With a roar, they told the government to leave the TABOR rebates alone so that taxes over-collected by the state would be returned to the taxpayers.