Colorado lawmakers leave decisions to voters in 2024 ballot measures
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Colorado lawmakers finished their work. Now it's time for Colorado voters to do theirs.
State of play: The Legislature left five major questions for the November ballot, most prominently the repeal of a state constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, which is currently unenforceable because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The latest: The other questions headed to the ballot ask voters to:
- Approve a 6.5% tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition, generating about $36 million a year in new revenue for violence prevention and mental health services.
- Put in the Constitution the ability for judges to deny the right to bail to those charged with first-degree murder when proof is evident, reversing a recent state Supreme Court decision.
- Allow the state to keep $29 million in sports betting tax revenue that exceeded the amount forecast in Proposition DD.
- Accelerate the timelines for filing referendum petitions and publishing information about the measures, among other election calendar changes.
The big picture: The Democratic majority on Thursday touted this year's legislative session as one of the most productive in recent memory.
- The key victories included deals to pull competing ballot measures on oil and gas and lawsuit liability damages from what is becoming a crowded ballot.
Yes, but: In other areas, the Legislature didn't succeed in — or didn't try — striking compromises to avoid ballot fights. So outside groups are pursuing their own initiatives.
- A ballot measure to lower property taxes substantially may move forward despite a bipartisan bill to lower spikes in property taxes approved by the Legislature.
- An effort to lower the state's income tax remains a possibility, the sponsor tells us, even after lawmakers approved a bill to lower the rate in years with large TABOR surpluses.
- A push to maintain local control over land use decisions is moving forward, advocates say particularly after lawmakers approved a package of bills creating statewide mandates.
- A series of recent laws supporting transgender children is prompting opponents to seek a ballot measure requiring parents to be informed of "gender incongruity" at school.
- A campaign to overhaul Colorado elections by abolishing party primaries is drawing opposition from conservatives who want a measure that would ban ranked choice voting and preserve the current system.
The bottom line: The ballot questions from the Legislature and potential measures from outside political forces will make for a long — and potentially confusing — ballot for voters in November.