The Denver Post laid out two big November-ballot ideas Democrats are lining up that would take a crowbar to TABOR, Colorado’s taxpayer bill of rights. One would raise the state spending cap by exempting the state share of K-12 funding from that cap. The other would replace our flat income tax with a graduated system where higher earners pay higher rates.
This is happening in Denver, driven by the Colorado Education Association and the Bell Policy Center, with Democratic sponsors at the Capitol. Normal people in Weld County and across Colorado should care because this is not some abstract tax-policy seminar. It is about whether the state keeps more of your money in “flush years” instead of refunding it, and whether Colorado permanently rewires how it taxes income.
Let me be blunt. State spending does not need to be unleashed. If you think the problem is that government has been tied up too tightly for decades, ask yourself why voters just rejected similar pitches in 2019 (Prop CC) and 2023 (Prop HH). Coloradans have heard the sales job. They said no.
And yes, here we go again with it’s for the children. I’m all for strong schools. We need kids ready for the workforce, and we should be able to talk about class sizes, teacher pay, and student support without turning every conversation into a raid on TABOR. Because TABOR is not the boogeyman. TABOR is the guardrail that forces government to justify growth and ask voters first.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Two proposed ballot ideas would change how Colorado handles TABOR refunds and income taxes.
- One proposal would exempt the state share of K-12 funding from the state spending cap.
- The article describes that proposal as creating a $4.5 billion buffer before refunds kick in and promising at least 2% annual increases in education funding.
- A second proposal would replace Colorado’s flat income tax with a graduated system, with higher rates on income above $500,000.
- Before any ballot vote, taxpayers deserve clear, plain-language answers about refunds, classroom guarantees, small business impacts, and spending priorities.
My Bottom Line
On the spending-cap proposal, the article says it creates a $4.5 billion buffer before refunds kick in, and it promises at least 2% annual increases in education funding. It also means the state keeps money that otherwise would be refunded when collections exceed the cap. If the goal is education, then voters deserve clear math and clear rules, not a structure that critics are already warning could become a slush fund.
On the graduated income tax, proponents say 97% of Coloradans would get a cut, and only income above $500,000 would face rates between 7.4% and 8.4%. That is a big jump. And the “rich paying their fair share” line is typical democrat class warfare at its finest. Here’s the problem: the article does not answer, in plain language, who gets caught in the gears. A lot of “wealthy” on paper in Colorado are small business owners with lumpy income. If we are going to rewrite the tax code, we need honesty about who pays, who benefits, and what happens in the next downturn.
This is the real issue: piss-poor priorities and the inability to spend within their means. Every Colorado family must do that. So should the state.
Great suburban normie, it’s time to wake up. If you are wondering whether you can continue to afford Colorado, stunts like this are a big part of the answer.
Before anything goes on a ballot, I want straightforward answers: How much in TABOR refunds and sales tax refunds would go away, and for how long? What exactly is guaranteed for classrooms versus what is simply “spending capacity”? How will new income tax brackets affect pass-through small businesses? And what spending gets cut or re-prioritized before anyone asks taxpayers for more? If folks disagree with me, fair enough. Bring facts. But do not bring slogans. And do not bring blank checks.
Source: The Denver Post
