In the last few Colorado elections, voters have been faced with a number of “slash and burn” ballot measures – that is, initiatives that slash taxes (disproportionately for the wealthy) and threaten to burn down the public services that make our communities thrive.
This year is no different. Initiatives 50 (already on the ballot) and 108 (signatures being collected) are more extreme and dangerous than those of the past. Their wholesale cuts to local property tax revenue would gut local services and require deep cuts to state priorities like post-secondary education, public schools, and public health.
But today there is good news!.
Three other “slash and burn” measures – Initiatives 176 & 178 (income tax cuts) and Initiative 252 (make TABOR even more restrictive) – were withdrawn by their proponents.
Why’d they back off? According to proponent Jon Caldara (President of the Independence Institute), it was because many of his traditional donors “are understandably fatigued of putting money into losing efforts.”
And, for once, Great Ed agrees with Mr. Caldara: His measures would have failed, because Colorado voters will choose public services over tax cuts when they understand the connection between the two.
Until 2022, ballot titles for income tax cuts only gave voters information about one side of that equation. For instance, the title for Proposition 121, which passed in 2022, simply asked: “Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes reducing the state income tax rate from 4.55% to 4.40%?”
But in 2022, Colorado voters decided they wanted to receive more balanced information and passed Proposition GG, requiring our ballots to include a table showing the average tax change for tax filers in different income categories. (The legislature had already passed legislation in 2021 requiring the ballot to include information about the impact of lost revenue on public services.)
It looks like proponents realized that it’s harder to get a “yes” vote on a tax cut when voters have the full picture of the impact those cuts would have on public services and on their own families.
Make no mistake. This development is no small deal. It’s a sign that we’ve turned a corner on the path to better school funding. Less defense, more progress. Join us!
Stay tuned!