Tax-Cutting, Government-Restricting Ballot Initiatives Bad for Colorado, Bad for Schools
There is a big fight gearing up in Colorado over three ballot initiatives – 60, 61 and 101. The initiatives promise tax cuts, controlled spending and borrowing and drops car registration taxes. The initiatives sound like a great idea, until you look closer at what they will do to Colorado and our public schools.
Amendment 60 will change Colorado’s constitution. It will cut property tax rates and allow voters to challenge the government to lower their property taxes. It will require the state to replace K-12 education funding each year and will overturn previously agreed to mill levy increases. It will require the state to replace the education funding, but does not give a allocation of where the funding will come from. Amendment 60 will cut local support for schools in half.
Amendment 61 will also change Colorado’s constitution by stopping the state from taking on debt in the form of loans. All projects, including building and improving schools, roads, bridges, etc would have to be financed by the public at the time it was being improved or built.
Proposition 101 will change state law to lower state income
…
