Category Archives: Fiscal Policy

Aug 31

Here Are The 11 Ballot Measures Colorado Will Vote On This Year, From Taxes To Raffles

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By Andrew Kenney

August 28, 2020
Primary Day Voting Ballot Drop Off DenverHart Van Denburg/CPR News
Denver Elections Division’s drive through ballot-drop-off station on Bannock Street on Primary Election Day June 30, 2020.

Colorado voters this November will make decisions on nearly a dozen proposed changes to the state’s laws and constitution. It’s one of the longest statewide ballots in recent history, with three measures referred by state lawmakers, seven proposals from citizen groups and one effort to repeal a recently-passed state law.

The decisions voters make on these questions will affect Colorado’s tax rates, government budgets, ecology and more. Many of these measures are supported and opposed by a range of organizations. CPR News is including those listed on the Secretary of State’s website or who are actively campaigning.

New Laws

Proposition 113 – Adopt Agreement To Elect U.S. Presidents By National Popular Vote

Colorado voters can choose to affirm or reject the legislature’s 2019 decision to join the National Popular Vote Compact. The Democratic-backed law could eventually bind Colorado and other states to commit their presidential election votes to the candidate who wins the most votes nationally, rather than the candidate who wins the state.

Proposition 114 – Restoration of Gray Wolves

The Question: Should Colorado reintroduce gray wolves on certain lands west of the Continental Divide? If approved, it could help an endangered species recover its place in Colorado’s ecology, but the measure faces criticism from ranchers who fear they’ll lose livestock to the predators. Read more from CPR. Read the initiative text.

To continue reading and learn about the 9 other ballot questions, please click (HERE):

Aug 28

Colorado ballot initiative to require voter approval of certain new state enterprises qualifies for November ballot

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By Jackie Mitchell

August 27, 2020 at 9:29 AM

In November, Coloradans will vote on whether or not to require statewide voter approval of new state enterprises if the enterprise’s projected or actual revenue from fees and surcharges is greater than $100 million within its first five years.

To qualify for the ballot, proponents needed to submit 124,632 valid signatures. Of the 196,090 signatures submitted by proponents on July 31, 2020, 138,852 were projected to be valid based on a random sample.

Enterprises were established through the Colorado Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) amendment of 1992. Enterprises are government-owned businesses that provide goods or services for a fee or surcharge that is paid for by the individuals or entities that are purchasing the goods or services. Examples of enterprises include the state lottery, state nursing homes, correctional industries, parks and wildlife, public colleges and universities, and the state unemployment insurance program. This is in contrast to government agencies or programs that provide goods or services that are paid for by tax revenue. Enterprises may receive a maximum of 10% of their annual revenue from state and local government sources but are otherwise financially independent from the state government and any local governments. Enterprise revenue does not count toward the TABOR limit. TABOR limits the amount of money the state of Colorado can take in and spend. It limits the annual increase for some state revenue to inflation plus the percentage change in state population. Any money collected above this limit is refunded to taxpayers unless the voters allow the state to spend it.

In the fiscal year 1993-94, the first year TABOR was in effect, enterprise revenue was $724.3 million. In 2017-18, state enterprises received $17.9 billion in revenue. In total, from 1993 to 2018, Colorado enterprises have received $150.17 billion in revenue.

To continue reading this story, please click (HERE):

Aug 26

Colorado residents pay 8.8% of their income in state, local taxation

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Taxpayers in Colorado turn over 8.8 percent of their income per capita to state and local governments, the 33rd highest percentage among the 50 states, according to an analysis by the website 24/7 Wall St.

State residents pay $1,209 per capita annually in income tax collections, $1,542 in property taxes and $1,339 in general sales tax collections, 24/7 Wall St. reported.

Nationwide, the portion of Americans’ income turned over to pay state and local taxes averaged 9.8 percent, or just over $5,000 a year, the analysis found. Federal taxes were not included in the study.

To continue reading this story, please click (HERE):

Aug 26

‘Vote on Fees’ measure makes November ballot

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FILE - Coloradans vote on TABOR in 2005
A voter exits the voting booth at the Denver Election Commission office in Denver, Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2005.(AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

(The Center Square) – An initiative to require voter approval of some state enterprises that draw their revenue from fees has been approved for the November ballot, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office said Monday.  

Colorado Rising State Action, the conservative advocacy group backing the Initiative 295, turned in more than 196,000 signatures in July, with 138,852 of those signatures being valid, the office said. The measure needed 124,632 valid signatures to make the ballot.

Taxpayer advocacy groups argue that lawmakers have used fees to avoid being subject to the state’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), a constitutional amendment that requires all tax increase be approved by voters. Under TABOR, state enterprise funds aren’t subject to TABOR’s revenue cap.

“It’s official, Coloradans will get to vote on strengthening TABOR this November,” Colorado Rising State Action Executive Director Michael Fields said in a statement. “State lawmakers have abused enterprise fees for years as a method to increase revenue and get around asking voters. It’s really simple, voters just want to be asked.”

To continue reading this story, please click (HERE):

Aug 24

Income tax rate reduction measure to appear on November ballot

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 By Sherrie Peif

DENVER — An initiative that would lower the state’s income tax rate has made it to the November ballot with more than enough qualified signatures.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold announced the Real Fair Tax Initiative (Initiative 306) was deemed sufficient with a projected percentage of valid signatures at 112.38 percent, negating the need to hand verify all 198,538 signatures gathered.

If passed by voters in, Colorado’s flat income tax rate will go from 4.63 percent to 4.55 percent starting with the 2020 tax year.

One of the initiative’s proponents said he was just doing what Gov. Jared Polis has asked for.

“I’m just Jared Polis’ faithful foot soldier,” said Jon Caldara, president of the free-market think tank Independence Institute.*  “He campaigned that he wanted a flat rate reduction in taxes.  We’re doing just that for him.”

To continue reading this story, please click (HERE):

Jul 31

Signatures turned in for ballot initiatives on voter approval of fees, income tax cut measures

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FILE - Election 2020 Colorado Primary
A voter casts her ballot at a mobile location in the Swansea neighborhood, Tuesday, June 30, 2020, in Denver.AP Photo/David Zalubowski

(The Center Square) – Backers of two taxpayer-related ballot initiatives submitted petition signatures Thursday to the state Secretary of State’s office. 

Jon Caldara, president of the Independence Institute, turned in 197,000 signatures for Initiative 306, which would cut the state income tax rate by 0.08 percent, from 4.63 percent to 4.55 percent.

The Denver-based free-market think tank says the measure is meant to help get “Colorado’s economy back to its former strength, by putting money back into the pockets of those who earned it.”

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Jun 17

THREE PUNCHES TO KNOCK DOWN DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM

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THREE PUNCHES TO KNOCK DOWN DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM

@ Waters Edge Winery

June 22nd

 

 

 

 

 

Helen Raleigh and Dr. Paul Prentice will discuss the battle of ideas between Capitalism and Socialism. Join us for this very important conversation.

Tickets are $20 per person, plus a $3 processing fee per ticket.

Click (HERE) to learn more and order tickets:

As the Democratic Socialists become more prominent, both nationally and at our dinner tables, it is very likely you will find yourself debating one. This battle of ideas, Capitalism vs Socialism, is at the very core of the current political discourse. Whichever side wins this battle will determine the fate of the American Experiment. Will we remain a free society, or will we succumb to the siren call of false security provided by government?

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Jun 11

Initiative backers want voter approval for big state fees; new enterprise bill cited as reason needed

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Initiative backers want voter approval for big state fees; new enterprise bill cited as reason needed

 By Sherrie Peif

TABOR is an amendment to the state Constitution requiring, among other things, that new or increased taxes be approved by voters.

The executive director of Colorado Rising State Action, Michael Fields, said Initiative 295, which would go into state statute, is more important now than ever as the state grapples with $3.3 billion in budget cuts and looks to find new sources of revenues.

Senate Bill 20-215 is “a perfect example of them trying to go around TABOR to raise revenue by calling them fees,” Fields said. “Clearly, this is the move they are going to make, raising taxes by calling them fees.”

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Jun 11

Editorial; Legislature plans to bury us in taxes

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Never has one simple fact been so clear. Businesses fund everything. When shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19, the state government went from a nearly $1 billion revenue surplus to a $3 billion shortfall. Shuttered businesses don’t collect sales taxes, and their out-of-work employees don’t pay state income taxes.

Given the sorry state of our economy and state budget, business recovery should be the Legislature’s top priority. To help them recover and survive, lawmakers should reduce the burden of overhead. Give these struggling patients oxygen and support; bill them for it later.

Instead of helping businesses recover and survive, legislators want more money from them immediately. Toward that self-destructive end, Democrats introduced House Bill 1420 on Monday and passed it out of committee Tuesday with the session ending this week.

To continue reading this story, please click (HERE):