Category Archives: Editorial

The TABOR Committee’s position on Proposition LL and Proposition MM

Featured

Posted on by

The TABOR Committee has taken a position on Proposition LL and Proposition MM.  As someone who follows our work, please consider our recommendations.

Please vote in this election and vote NO on both propositions.

Reasons for our position are stated below:

  • Both measures deal with raising taxes for school meal programs.  The program was passed just a couple years ago, is just now being implemented, and already the government is twisting the taxpayers’ arms for even more funds.  LL would cost $67 Million EACH year and MM would collect $103 Million and rising each and every year.
  • In a year when the state budget is leading to cuts, these higher taxes would be directed only to this new and untested program.
  • Colorado’s income tax report uses the federal tax report (1140) as its basis.  These measures enhance the process of creating a different method for calculating State taxes.  Our citizens are headed toward having to fill out a second report that uses a different set of rules.  That leads to many more hours to file your taxes, using a different basis, and creating real reporting headaches.

Proponents hope that you will support the measures because they “soak the rich.”  Think about how all the states that treat wealth as something terrible are seeing people escape those states and move to places where success is not punished.

These measures continue to move the state away from the citizen-approved concept of taxing income at one rate.

Under TABOR, as people earn more income, they pay more taxes, but everybody’s tax rate is the same, so no one is treated differently.

#VoteNoOnPropLL
#VoteNoOnPropMM
#OnlyTaxIncreasesAreOnTheBallot,NotTaxDecreases
#ItsYourMoneyNotTheirs
#DontBeFooled
#VoteOnTaxesAndFees
#FeesAreTaxes
#TABOR
#FollowTheMoney
#FollowTheLaw
#ThankGodForTABOR
#HandsOffTABOR

Oct 08

Colorado’s Free School Lunch Program is Getting More Expensive

Posted on by

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Colorado ballot measures aim to fund Healthy School Meals for All—but they come with a price tag.

  • Prop LL would cancel a $12.4M taxpayer refund in FY26.
  • Prop MM would raise taxes on Coloradans earning $300K+, with average hikes of $377 (single) and $560 (joint).
Read the latest CSI report to find out: https://www.commonsenseinstituteus.org/…/colorados-free…

#ItsYourMoneyNotTheirs
#DontBeFooled
#VoteOnTaxesAndFees
#FeesAreTaxes
#TABOR
#FollowTheMoney
#FollowTheLaw
#ThankGodForTABOR
#HandsOffTABOR

Oct 02

Chainsaw Caucus Alert: Prop LL & MM – TABOR Workaround & Hidden Tax Hike!

Posted on by

ChainsawCaucus @ChainsawCaucus posted this on X

Chainsaw Caucus Alert: Prop LL & MM – TABOR Workaround & Hidden Tax Hike!

Colorado Patriots, it’s time to sharpen your chainsaws! Propositions LL and MM on the November 2025 ballot are being sold as “saving school lunches” and “helping kids,” but don’t be fooled—these are slick moves to bypass TABOR and raise your taxes! Here’s the breakdown from your Chainsaw Caucus crew, ready to cut through the spin.

Prop LL: TABOR’s Backdoor Bust

– What They Say: Prop LL “retains” extra revenue from Prop FF (2022’s school meals tax on high earners) to keep funding free lunches for all kids. Sounds noble, right?

– The Truth: This is a TABOR dodge! TABOR (our Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) says any revenue over projections must be refunded to YOU, the taxpayer. Prop LL lets the state keep $50-100M a year that should come back to your wallet, no questions asked. They’re calling it “surplus retention,” but it’s a blank check for bureaucrats to lock up funds without voter say. Once it’s gone, good luck getting it back!

– Why It Stinks: TABOR exists to protect us from runaway spending. Prop LL flips the bird to that, tying up your money for a program that’s already ballooned to $200M a year (double what they planned). No accountability, no flexibility for budget crises. Just a feel-good excuse to hoard cash.

 

Prop MM: Straight-Up Tax Hike

– What They Say: Prop MM “tweaks” taxes on folks earning over $300K to raise ~$95M for school meals and SNAP benefits. They claim it’s just for kids and won’t hit your pocket.

– The Truth: This is a TAX INCREASE, plain and simple. It caps deductions at $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (joint) for high earners, jacking up their state taxes. Think it won’t affect you? Those 200,000 households (6% of filers) are business owners, job creators, and innovators who might just pack up and leave Colorado, taking jobs with them. Plus, nothing stops the state from lowering that $300K threshold later—today’s “rich” could be YOU tomorrow.

– TABOR Trick: Prop MM dresses up as TABOR-compliant by asking for your vote, but it’s a one-way street. Once approved, that $95M is locked into meals and SNAP forever, starving other priorities like roads or schools when budgets get tight. It’s ballot-box budgeting—handcuffing lawmakers and dodging TABOR’s spirit.

 

The Big Picture: Together, LL and MM are a masterclass in government overreach. LL keeps your TABOR refunds hostage; MM slaps new taxes on the table. Both prop up a bloated program (meals for all kids, even wealthy ones) that’s already failing to stay on budget. Meanwhile, Colorado’s facing an $800M shortfall, and these measures just make it harder to pivot. They’re not about “kids”; they’re about locking in spending and screwing taxpayers.

 

Chainsaw Caucus Call to Action

– Vote NO on Props LL and MM on Nov. 4, 2025! Protect TABOR, your wallet, and Colorado’s economic future.

– Spread the Word: Share this post on X and tell your neighbors—these props are a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

– Join the Fight: Follow @ChainsawCaucus for more updates on slashing government waste and keeping Colorado free!

 

Disclaimer: This post reflects the Chainsaw Caucus’s take—no fluff, just facts. Check ballot language at http://coloradosos.gov. Let’s keep the government’s hands off our money! ?

https://x.com/ChainsawCaucus/status/1973026323502084182

#ItsYourMoneyNotTheirs
#DontBeFooled
#VoteOnTaxesAndFees
#FeesAreTaxes
#TABOR
#FollowTheMoney
#FollowTheLaw
#ThankGodForTABOR
#HandsOffTABOR

 

Sep 17

Colorado Taxpayers Facing Threats from Big Government Advocates & Authoritarian Legislators

Posted on by

Links from video: https://freestatecolorado.com/herman/ A new proposed tax increase would be disastrous for Colorado. The economy is already struggling and many Coloradans are having trouble making ends meet. And yet, greedy politicians and their authoritarian allies working for non-profits want to take more of our money. Thankfully, we have people like Nash Herman who analyze policy and expose the implications of these schemes. Nash works for the Independence Institute in Denver, a Free-Market think tank. In this video, Nash explains why tax increases are a bad idea and shares insight into the mindset of greedy big government advocates.

Sep 11

The TABOR Committee’s Response about the T-Mobile/City of Lakewood Tax Case

Posted on by

The members of the TABOR Committee certainly were glad that both the trial court and the Colorado Supreme Court acted to preserve this piece of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights : (https://aboutbtax.com/bjrH).  We have thought for years that courts have been too lenient in allowing the weakening of TABOR, and so strongly endorse this defense of the constitution.

The City of Lakewood tried to wiggle past this new tax without prior voter approval by expanding the reach of a limited and old telecommunications tax.  That the judicial system confirmed that new technologies must be treated as such in order to be taxed and therefore require voter approval, is an excellent protection for the citizens of our state.  The application of this understanding, that newly developed inventions cannot have old taxes extended to them, but must first ask the voters, is an important provision going forward that should cover a host of new ideas and innovations.  The ruling also somewhat limits the damage done in the rulings for the TABOR Foundation vs. RTD case, in which taxes imposed on items never taxed before without a vote were allowed by the courts.

We were also thankful that the justices on the Supreme Court all understood and applied the plain meaning of TABOR and released the Opinion unanimously.

An issue that we wish would have been revisited was argued by the City to allow the new taxes because the taxes raised were too small to be relevant.  It should be emphasized that such an argument always should be seen as nugatory, because TABOR has no de minimis language anywhere in its constitutional section.  In fact, the opposite applies.  Any tax increase ballot must conform to specific language that forecasts the amount to be raised.  If the receipts come in higher than the projection, “[T]he excess shall be refunded” and the tax rate adjusted downward to meet the limits (paragraph 7(d)).  No exception is mentioned in the provision.  In the RTD case mentioned above, the Supreme Court then legislated the de minimis provision into TABOR, creating it out of whole cloth.

Penn Pfiffner
TABOR Committee Chairman

Sep 11

Colorado Chamber Applauds Landmark TABOR Decision from State Supreme Court

Posted on by

For media inquiries, please contact Cynthia Eveleth-Havens at CynthiaE@cochamber.com.

DENVER – The Colorado Chamber of Commerce today applauded the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision in MetroPCS v. City of Lakewood, determining that the City of Lakewood failed to comply with Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR). The Colorado Chamber submitted an amicus brief on the case in December 2024.

“This landmark case draws a sharp line in the sand for the state and local jurisdictions trying to tax voters without their approval,” said Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman. “This is the first time the Colorado Supreme Court has found a violation of TABOR’s voter approval requirements for new taxes, which could set an important precedent moving forward. Businesses depend on the predictability of our laws and tax policies, and we applaud the Court’s decision to prohibit taxing authorities from unilaterally imposing new taxes without the consent of voters.”

The Court ruled that Lakewood violated the state constitution by expanding a 1969 tax ordinance twice in the last three decades when it enacted a business and occupation tax on cell service providers without prior voter approval. The Court declared the ordinances violated TABOR laws making them void and requiring Lakewood to refund the tax it collected unlawfully over the past years.

The Colorado Chamber’s prior amicus brief can be found here: https://cochamber.com/wp-content/uploads/T-Mo-CO-Brief-of-Amicus-Curiae-Colorado-Chamber-of-Commerce.pdf 

Colorado Chamber Applauds Landmark TABOR Decision from State Supreme Court

Sep 06

The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights is located in Section 20 of Article X of the Colorado Constitution. The text of the section is as follows:

Posted on by

The Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) requires voter approval for all new taxes, tax rate increases, extensions of expiring taxes, mill levy increases, valuation for property assessment increases, or tax policy changes resulting in increased tax revenue.

Titles shall have this order of preference: “NOTICE OF ELECTION TO INCREASE TAXES/TO INCREASE DEBT/ON A CITIZEN PETITION/ON A REFERRED MEASURE.”

https://ballotpedia.org/Colorado_Taxpayer%27s_Bill_of_Rights_(TABOR)