Support
Amendment G
Amendment H
Amendment I
Amendment J
Amendment K
Amendment 79
Proposition JJ
Proposition KK
Oppose
Amendment 80
Proposition 128
Proposition 129
Proposition 130
Proposition 131
Amendment G expands a property tax exemption known as the Homestead exemption to include all veterans whose disability is rated as making them unemployable. There are an estimated 3700 veterans in Colorado who would become newly eligible if Amendment G passes.
Amendment H creates a new independent board to conduct judicial misconduct hearings and impose disciplinary actions. The amendment will enhance the transparency and integrity of the judicial discipline process so that Colorado judges do not have direct influence and oversight over the discipline of their colleagues.
Amendment I restores the ability of judges to deny bail to people charged with first degree murder when the judge determines it is likely that the person committed the crime. Passage of the measure will restore a legal precedent inadvertently eliminated when Colorado repealed the death penalty in 2020. The legal standard for denial of bail was and would be again “proof is evident or presumption is great” that the accused person committed the crime.
Amendment J repeals a voter-approved provision of state constitution from 2006 that defines a valid marriage as the union between one man and one woman. At present, federal constitutional precedent preserves the right to same-sex marriage, declaring federal and state bans on same-sex marriage to be unconstitutional. If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns precedent, the Colorado constitution should reflect our values and ensure protection of marriage as a basic right. See https://www.freedomtomarryco.com/ for more info.
Amendment K moves up the deadline by one week for citizens to submit signatures for initiative and referendum petitions and for judges to declare intent to seek another term. It takes a lot of work to prepare ballots and get them sent to military and overseas voters, particularly as our ballots grow increasingly longer. This amendment will provide needed time to do the important work to format and translate ballots and program election systems.
Vote YES to enshrine the right to abortion in the Colorado constitution. Amendment 79 also repeals the prohibition on public funds for abortion services so that abortion can be a covered service under health insurance plans for Colorado state and local government employees and for enrollees in state and local governmental insurance programs. The source of a person’s health insurance shouldn’t dictate their access to abortion care and the ability to make their own healthcare decisions without government interference. See https://coloradansforreproductivefreedom.com/ for more info.
Vote NO to OPPOSE opening the door to vouchers and harming public schools. Coloradans already have school choice. It is a part of state statute. What we do need is better funding to pay our educators and reduce class sizes. We don’t need to alter our constitution in ways that could have harmful effects on our public school systems in the future. See https://www.protectpublicschools.co/ for more info.
Voters passed Proposition DD in 2019 to legalize sports betting and authorized a tax on betting. Voting yes will allow the state to retain the revenue it is generating from sports betting to be used for Colorado water projects, instead of returning it to casinos and sports betting operators.
Support Prop KK to provide funding for support services for victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes, increase access to mental health services for veterans and youth, and promote school safety and gun violence prevention. These critical services would be supported by a new 6.5% excise tax on gun and ammunition retailers that is estimated to generate approximately $39 million each year. See https://yesonpropkk.com/ for more info.
This measure would ban the trapping and hunting of bobcats, mountain lions and lynx in Colorado, with exceptions for the protection of human life, property livestock. I am not an advocate for trophy hunting. However, I also understand the heartburn coming from rural Colorado as the majority of Front Range voters weigh in on policies that impact our rural counties.
Oppose Prop 128, which would undermine Colorado's current parole system by unjustly punishing people who have worked hard to rehabilitate themselves while incarcerated and have proven they are ready to return home. The measure would expand the imprisonment of elderly people who have aged out of crime and whom the parole board already considers safe for release. The cynical goal here is to scare voters rather than provide real solutions to public safety concerns. It would increase negative economic, behavioral, and educational outcomes for the children and families of incarcerated individuals by implementing disproven public safety methods. See https://www.coloradansforsmartjustice.org/ for more info.
Oppose introducing a new veterinary position in Colorado called a Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA). Colorado would be creating this new position that does not exist anywhere in the country. It is an unnecessary position that will compromise vet care and endanger Colorado pets and animals. The measure is driven by special interests seeking profits that will lead to lesser care available for our beloved pets. See https://keepourpetssafe.com/ for more info.
Oppose Prop 130, which would divert $350 million from the state general fund exclusively to fund “peace officers,” which is limited to traditional law enforcement officers only (none of the funding could go toward fire, co-responders, and other public safety infrastructure). Colorado already allocates more funding to law enforcement per capita than 75% of states in the U.S. There is no guarantee that voting for this measure will make our communities safer. Further, this is an impossible way to craft a state budget. The measure does not identify a new revenue source, so the $350 million will have to be diverted from other critical allocations at a time when the state budget is already incredibly strained. See https://www.coloradansforsmartjustice.org/ for more info.
Prop 131 is an overly complicated, costly election proposal that is not a typical “ranked-choice voting” model and will not deliver on its promises. Millionaires and billionaires supporting 131 promise less partisanship and more moderate candidates but experience and studies in other states demonstrate it leads to more dark money in politics where the person with the most money wins. In addition to being overly complicated, it will cost approximately $21 million in its first three years while being unlikely to deliver on the false promises of its backers. See https://voterrightsco.org/ for more info.