Category Archives: Education

Oct 16

The 2025 Blue Book provides explanations of the two statewide ballot measures in Colorado

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

Colorado’s November 2025 election

The 2025 Blue Book provides explanations of the two statewide ballot measures in Colorado, meant to help voters understand both sides of the issues at hand.

What’s in this year’s Blue Book? Your guide to Colorado’s November 2025 election

The 2025 Blue Book provides explanations of the two statewide ballot measures in Colorado, meant to help voters understand both sides of the issues at hand.

What’s in the blue book? Your guide to Colorado’s November election.

By: Colette Bordelon

Posted 11:09 PM, Oct 14, 2025

DENVER — As ballots begin to arrive in Colorado mailboxes, another important piece of mail is ready to greet them: the 2025 Blue Book.

This year’s book details two statewide ballot measures, the arguments for and against them, and what a “yes” and “no” votes mean.

One of the statewide ballot measures detailed in the Blue Book is Proposition LL.

The statewide ballot measures, Proposition LL and Proposition MM, were referred by the legislature and need a simple majority to pass.

Proposition LL aims to retain and spend excess state revenue collected from Proposition FF, also known as Healthy School Meals for All. Proposition FF, which was passed by Colorado voters in 2022, created a program that reimburses participating school meal providers offering free breakfast and lunch to all public school students. Schools must participate in the National School Lunch Program and receive federal meal funding to qualify.

Proposition LL would allow the state to use $12.4 million in excess tax revenue collected under Proposition FF for the Healthy School Meals for All Program, instead of refunding it to households that earn $300,000 or more a year. In addition, Proposition LL would maintain current tax deduction limits for households earning $300,000 or more annually, which are expected to be lowered next year.

A “yes” vote on Proposition LL allows the state to keep and spend $12.4 million in tax revenue that has already been collected for the Healthy School Meals for All Program and maintains current taxes on households earning $300,000 or more annually.

A “no” vote on Proposition LL means the state will refund $12.4 million to households earning $300,000 or more annually and allows deduction limits to change as scheduled under current law, which will lower taxes paid by these households.

So, why is Proposition LL on the ballot? The answer lies in the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), which requires voter approval for the state to keep any revenue collected that exceeded a Blue Book estimate. In this instance, the 2022 Blue Book found that Proposition FF would increase tax revenue by $100.7 million in the 2023-24 budget year. The state ended up collecting $112 million, roughly $11.3 million more than expected, according to the Blue Book.

If Proposition LL does not pass, the $11.3 million excess, plus the $1.1 million in interest, would be refunded to households making $300,000 or more a year. In addition, the amount of taxes those households pay would be reduced in the future, as the current law requires under TABOR. Continue reading →

Oct 02

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

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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 04

Ballot measure seeks tax hike for higher income earners in 2026

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A coalition led by a Colorado think tank will file a ballot initiative on Wednesday to raise state income tax rates on annual household incomes and corporations with earnings above $500,000.

The ballot measure, which sets up a “graduated” income tax, would also provide a tax break for households with incomes below the $500,000 threshold.

Broadly speaking, under a graduated income tax — which is also known as “progressive” tax — the rates are divided into brackets. The lower brackets pay a smaller rate; the higher levels are taxed a bigger rate. A graduated system would eliminate Colorado’s flat tax rate.

Under the coalition’s proposal, the higher bracket would pay more so that even with the tax break for incomes below $500,000, the graduated system would still pull in a bigger net revenue for the state government.

Click (HERE) to continue reading this TABOR article at Colorado Politics

Aug 06

Colorado’s TABOR-exempt revenue has increased nearly 30% since 1996, study finds

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Colorado’s TABOR-exempt revenue has increased nearly 30% since 1996, study finds

CSI enterprises.jpg
Amount of state revenue subject to TABOR and exempt from TABOR since 1996. Graph courtesy Common Sense Institute.

State spending that is exempt from Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights has increased by nearly 30% over the past 30 years, according to a report by the public policy think tank Common Sense Institute.

While TABOR places a limit on how much revenue the state can retain each fiscal year, certain sources — such as voter-approved changes, federal funds, and state enterprises — are exempt.

According to the Bell Policy Center, enterprise funds are state-owned “businesses” that provide goods or services in exchange for revenue. Examples include the state lottery and the Colorado Healthcare Affordability and Sustainability Enterprise (CHASE).

Continue reading →

Apr 07

ICYMI Over The Past 31 Years, This Has Been Part Of Their Colorado Democrats Party Platform

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#HandsOffTABOR
#DontBeFooled
#ItsYourMoneyNotTheirs
#TABOR
#FollowTheLaw
#FeesAreTaxes
#VoteOnFees
#ReplaceThemAllForNotFollowingVotersWishes

Apr 02

10th Circuit dismisses lawsuit challenging validity of TABOR

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We just wanted to remind you that the premise of this case was settled in December, 2021 but the political party on the left doesn’t learn. Here’s the headline and story:

10th Circuit dismisses lawsuit challenging validity of TABOR

FILE PHOTO: The Byron R. White U.S. Courthouse in Denver, which houses the Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

MICHAEL KARLIK/COLORADO POLITICS

The federal appeals court based in Denver has dismissed the long-running lawsuit seeking to void Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, finding in a 7-2 decision that a collection of local governments has no basis to challenge the 1992 constitutional amendment.

Chief Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich, writing for himself and six of his colleagues, concluded that the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners, a handful of school districts and one special district failed to show that the 1875 Enabling Act that guaranteed to Colorado a “republican” form of government had also given the local government entities the ability to challenge TABOR’s taxing and spending restrictions.

“Looking at the Enabling Act’s language, we conclude the plaintiffs cannot state a claim under the Act’s promise of a republican constitution. Neither the Enabling Act’s text nor structure supports the political subdivisions’ arguments. The clause promising a constitution republican in form has no clear beneficiary,” Tymkovich wrote in the Dec. 13 decision.

The ruling of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit represents a blow to opponents of TABOR, who argue that it has starved governments of revenue and made crucial funding obligations, such as education and transportation, more difficult through the imposition of tax increases only at the permission of voters.

Continue reading →

Apr 01

Democrats roll out tax and TABOR reform plan

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Democrats roll out tax and TABOR reform plan to remake state finances, calling for “a reckoning”
Colorado lawmakers float legal challenge that, if successful, could kill TABOR outright

A group of Colorado lawmakers has unveiled a plan to fundamentally change state tax policy and attempt to eliminate the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR.

The plan, announced Monday afternoon by Democratic legislators, includes reclassifying chunks of Colorado highway funding so it doesn’t fall under the TABOR spending cap, which would free up money for other things. They also hope to end Colorado’s flat income tax and replace it with a system in which higher-income taxpayers pay higher rates than low-income filers.

Lawmakers also introduced a resolution Monday that seeks to launch a lawsuit challenging the legality of TABOR, which was passed by Colorado voters in 1992, under the U.S. Constitution.

“The state is coming to a reckoning on whether we can sustain ourselves,” said Sean Camacho, a Denver Democrat. “And all of these measures are critical to figuring that out.”

The lawsuit resolution has attracted a roster of co-sponsors, including some top legislative leaders. The proposals come as Colorado faces a budget hole of more than $1 billion because of the cap set by TABOR.

TABOR limits how much state spending can grow based on inflation and population growth. Certain sectors of government spending, chiefly mandatory Medicaid costs, have far outstripped the pace of consumer inflation, effectively eating into how much the state can spend on nonmandatory programs.

To read the rest of this article, click (HERE) to go to the Denver Post.

Mar 30

OPINION: ‘Fiscal tailgating’ caused Colorado’s budget woes

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OPINION: ‘Fiscal tailgating’ caused Colorado’s budget woes

  • By Mark Hillman
  • Mar 27, 2025 Updated Mar 28, 2025

The gold dome of the state Capitol is seen in Denver.
The Associated Press File

Headlines from the state Capitol might cause a reader to believe Colorado is in a deep recession. Legislators say they must cut more than $1 billion in spending to balance the 2025-26 budget.

Still, state government has $687 million more to spend than last year in a $19 billion budget. So why all the histrionics about a budget “crisis”?

Because Colorado lawmakers practice fiscal tailgating.

Tailgating on the highway is dangerous because when drivers travel too fast and follow too close to the car ahead, the tailgating driver doesn’t have time to react if the lead driver unexpectedly brakes or swerves.

Fiscal tailgating is much the same. Lawmakers spend money as fast as it comes in, then when the economy slows, they face much harder choices than if they had tapped the brakes when awash in money.

After COVID, Congress inflated the money supply and passed out trillions to states. Colorado raked in billions, which lawmakers knew would someday run out.

Not long ago, veteran members of the Joint Budget Committee, regardless of party, would stand firmly against spending one-time funds for ongoing programs because they knew they’d ultimately be forced to cut the new program or cut something else.

Ending a program people have come to rely on is never popular.

But for the past few years, the Democrat-controlled legislature has done the opposite. As one local news organization reported, “The budget has actually been out of balance for years.

To continue reading the rest of the story, please click (HERE).

 

Mar 29

Ballooning Medicaid costs, TABOR limits expose flaws in Colorado’s big government spending spree

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Ballooning Medicaid costs, TABOR limits expose flaws in Colorado’s big government spending spree

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board / March 28, 2025 /

By Rocky Mountain Voice Editorial Board

After years of overreach and unchecked government growth, Colorado lawmakers are now scrambling to plug a $1.2 billion hole in the state budget — a crisis largely of their own making.

Colorado budget writers voted Wednesday night to finalize a 2025–26 budget plan that slashes transportation funding, eliminates programs, and kicks key decisions down the road — all while Medicaid spending surges out of control.

Despite the so-called “cuts,” the budget still grows to over $16 billion. But massive increases in Medicaid — particularly long-term care for seniors and the disabled — are eating up the budget at an unsustainable pace. Democrat lawmakers admit the problem is only getting worse. “Next year, I see our fiscal challenges compounding,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, vice chair of the Joint Budget Committee (JBC), during a hearing.

Conservatives argue this crisis is a direct result of failed progressive governance: endless new programs, expensive mandates, and refusal to address structural overspending.

TABOR Targeted Again

Once again, the state’s taxpayer protections — the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) — are being blamed by Democrats for the budget woes. TABOR limits government growth to population plus inflation, requiring refunds to citizens when revenue exceeds the cap.

Instead of thanking taxpayers for Colorado’s booming economy, JBC Chair Sen. Jeff Bridges (D-Greenwood Village) criticized TABOR: “When the economy is booming and the state is tightening its belt, that just doesn’t make sense,” he told The Colorado Sun. “It’s like, ‘why are you making these cuts?’ And the answer is TABOR.”

But to fiscal conservatives, it makes perfect sense. TABOR keeps the government from ballooning during economic highs and forces legislators to prioritize. That’s not dysfunction — it’s accountability.

Click (HERE) to read the rest of this editorial.