Category Archives: HJR25-1023

May 07

Legislators debate whether to sue over Taxpayer’s Bill Of Rights (TABOR)

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FNF Tax Form
Leon Dewiwje | Unsplash
(The Center Square) – Colorado lawmakers are scheduled in the final days of the legislative session to consider a joint resolution that would require the General Assembly to sue over the state Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

The joint resolution only has until Wednesday to pass, before the General Assembly adjourns sine die. It hasn’t moved in the chamber since April 10, when it was laid over.

TABOR is the constitutional amendment passed by voters in 1992 that requires voter approval for all tax increases. The amendment also limits state revenue growth to inflation plus the rate of population growth, with the intent of controlling state spending. TABOR also requires any revenue surplus to be refunded to taxpayers.

To finish reading this TABOR story, please click (HERE) to go to The Center Square.

 

May 06

Colorado Democrats fail to challenge TABOR as legislative session nears end

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Colorado Democrats fail to advance their resolution challenging the Taxpayer Bill of Rights before the legislative session ends Wednesday.

DENVER — A Democratic-led effort to challenge Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) will not advance before the legislative session ends Wednesday, despite the party’s complete control of state government.

State Rep. Sean Camacho, D-Denver, who sponsored a resolution to initiate a lawsuit seeking to have TABOR ruled unconstitutional, confirmed the measure will not receive a vote before midnight, ensuring the resolution will not have enough time to go through all the steps in the House and Senate by Wednesday.

“It is not happening,” Camacho said.

He did not know why it was not being put to a vote, and as of Monday night, a spokesman for House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillion, had not responded to an 12:35 p.m. text message regarding the vote.

TABOR, which has been state law since 1992, limits how much revenue Colorado can collect and spend each year. It also requires refunds to taxpayers when the state exceeds those limits. Democrats have increasingly cited TABOR as the reason behind this year’s $1 billion in state spending cuts.

To continue reading the rest of this story, click (HERE) to go to 9 News

May 03

Colorado Lawmakers Push to Sue Taxpayers — Using Taxpayer Money

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Colorado Lawmakers Push to Sue Taxpayers — Using Taxpayer Money

Colorado taxpayers and voters are on high alert after the introduction of House Joint Resolution HJR25-1023, sponsored by Democrat Representatives Sean Camacho and Lorena García and Democrat Senators. Lindsey Daugherty and Iman Jodeh. This resolution would initiate a taxpayer-funded lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).  TABOR was a citizen-initiated, and Colorado voter-approved, constitutional measure in 1992 and has been protecting taxpayers for over thirty years. Republican Representatives and Senators have publicly and vigorously expressed opposition to the resolution.

Ironically, this legal attack, led by Democrat sponsors, would be paid for by the very people TABOR was designed to protect.

The sponsors argue that TABOR violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of a “republican form of government” — claiming that only elected lawmakers should decide tax policy, not voters. But that argument flatly contradicts Colorado’s own history and the words of a former Democratic governor.

In August 1910, Governor John F. Shafroth called a special legislative session to enshrine the citizen right to initiative and referendum into the Colorado Constitution. His message to the General Assembly, reprinted in The Walsenburg World (Aug. 11, 1910), made the purpose clear:

“The law of the Initiative and Referendum places the government nearer to the people, and that has always been the aim of the framers of all republican forms of government.”

A Democrat said that. And yet in 2025, Democrats are sponsoring a resolution to sue the people for using those very rights.

Last Thursday, I hand-delivered that quote and the historical context to legislators — sliding it under many office doors in hopes it would be read without me there. In the chaos of the session’s final days, I can only hope some of them reflect on how far their party has drifted.

There are rumors the sponsors might delay action on the resolution this session out of political caution and risking their seats in fiscally conservative districts. But don’t relax — they’ve already said they are preparing a 2026 ballot measure to dismantle TABOR. It’s predicted to resemble 2005’s Ref C, so voters should brace for misleading ballot language and long-term consequences.

Here’s what Ref C did: Taxpayers forfeited TABOR refunds for 5-years and let the state permanently keep billions beyond the voter-approved revenue cap.

REF C fiscal impact:
From 1992 – 2004, TABOR has refunded about $11.98 billion to taxpayers.
In contrast, Ref C has allowed the state to retain over $37.23 billion. That’s three times more money kept by government than returned to the people.

That $37.23 billion is in addition to the allowed reasonable TABOR cap of letting government tax revenue grow by inflation + population.

That’s what’s at stake — not just dollars, but your constitutional right to say no.

Natalie Menten
TABOR Board Member

 

 

 

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May 02

What Colorado Could Face Without The TAxpayer’s Bill Of Rights (TABOR)

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Colorado House Joint Resolution HJR25-1023 seeks to challenge the constitutionality of TABOR (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) by authorizing a lawsuit to determine whether TABOR deprives Colorado of a republican form of government. The resolution argues that TABOR limits legislative authority over taxation and spending, shifting power to direct voter approval rather than elected representatives.

Impact on TABOR

  • Legal Challenge: If successful, the lawsuit could lead to TABOR being overturned, removing taxpayer refund protections and allowing the legislature to set taxes without voter approval.
  • Reduced Refunds: TABOR has historically provided billions in taxpayer refunds; weakening or eliminating it could result in fewer or no refunds.
  • Government Spending: Without TABOR’s restrictions, Colorado’s government could retain more revenue, potentially increasing funding for public programs but also raising concerns about unchecked spending.

This resolution is part of a broader legislative effort to redefine Colorado’s tax policies, sparking debate over whether TABOR is a safeguard for taxpayers or an obstacle to government flexibility.

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

 

May 02

HJR25-1023 TABOR challenge could be heard Friday, May 2

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While at the Capitol this afternoon, Rep. Rose Pugliese told me HJR25-1023 will likely get its 3rd Reading Friday.

Since we’re in the final days of the legislative session, expedited rules apply—meaning a committee hearing can be scheduled with less than 24 hours’ notice.

HJR25-1023 is expected to receive its 3rd reading in the State House today (Friday, May 2). It could be introduced in the Senate the same day and quickly referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

The session ends Wednesday, May 7.

I may have to bolt down there last minute and won’t have time to alert everyone. Please try to tune into the House floor. Once it passes, shift to the Senate to catch the introduction and committee referral—likely Senate Finance.

Watch & Listen: https://leg.colorado.gov/watch-listen

Virtual Testimony Sign-up: leg.colorado.gov/testimony

Natalie Menten, TABOR Board member