Colorado voters will find fourteen statewide measures on the November 5 ballot. The lineup includes seven initiatives that citizens petitioned onto the ballot and seven referred by state lawmakers. These measures are on top of local initiatives already approved for municipal ballots, including a dozen Denver measures and a proposal to de-Bruce the Regional Transportation District (read about those in last week's edition, or on westword.com).
Two additional initiatives had successfully petitioned their way onto the ballot, but both were withdrawn on Wednesday, September 4, in a compromise deal. Initiative 50 sought to cap property tax revenue increases at 4 percent each year, and Initiative 108 pushed to decrease the state property tax assessment rate to 5.7 percent for residential property and 24 percent for commercial property.
Organizers pulled the measures as part of an agreement with Governor Jared Polis, who'd called a special legislative session dedicated to passing property tax relief. On the same day the initiatives were withdrawn, Polis signed into law House Bill 24B-1001, designed to cut commercial and residential rates by roughly $254 million — compared to the $2.4 billion in tax cuts that would have come from Initiatives 50 and 108.
"This wasn't easy," Polis said during the bill signing. "I think the legislature acted responsibly in this case to provide property tax relief to heed the call that hundreds of thousands of people made and to avoid risky [ballot] measures."
Governor Jared Polis at the bill-signing session for the deal that pulled two initiatives off the ballot.
Hannah Metzger
Secretary of State Jena Griswold just certified the 2024 Colorado General Election ballot on September 9. Here are the fourteen statewide initiatives that Coloradans will vote on this November:
Citizen-Initiated Ballot Measures
The state title board approved dozens of ballot measures, but only a handful collected the required signatures. Proponents needed 124,238 signatures from registered voters to get each initiative onto the ballot, and they only had six months after the bill title was set to collect them. The ultimate deadline was August 5, and nine made the cut — including the two withdrawn by organizers.
Members of Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom turn in 99 boxes of petitions in support of an abortion-rights ballot proposal.
Evan Semón Photography
Constitutional Right to Abortion
Amendment 79 would enshrine the right to abortion in the Colorado Constitution and allow state funds, including Medicaid and state employee health insurance, to be used to pay for abortions; that's currently prohibited under a constitutional measure passed in 1984.
Colorado has one of the most permissive abortion laws in the country, with state legislators taking many steps to protect abortion access since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned federal abortion rights and made reproductive freedoms a state issue in 2022. The Colorado Legislature has passed bills to establish abortion as a fundamental right, shield patients from out-of-state penalties and expand health insurance coverage for the procedure.
This ballot measure would solidify abortion access in Colorado even further, ensuring that future legislators could not revoke access to abortion without approval from voters. "Coloradans deserve the freedom to make personal, private health-care decisions, and that right shouldn't depend on the source of their health insurance or who is in office," said Karen Middleton, co-chair of Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, during a press conference. "A right without access is a right in name only."
An opposing measure that sought to ban abortion in Colorado failed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Prohibit Bobcat, Lynx and Mountain Lion Hunting
Proposition 127 would ban the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx, making it a Class 1 misdemeanor. The animals could only be killed if they threaten human life, livestock or property.
The Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign calls the hunting of big cats "cruel" and "inhumane." "This is commercial killing, with lion-hunting guides charging an $8,000 fee to guarantee a ‘trophy’ and trappers selling bobcat pelts to China," says Samantha Miller, Cats Aren’t Trophies campaign manager.
The initiative proponents boast support from 82 animal welfare and wildlife conservation organizations. But the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project opposes the measure, arguing that it could disrupt wildlife management practices that rely on limited hunter harvest. "The underpinnings of science-based wildlife management administered by wildlife professionals may be on the ballot this November, and the stakes couldn’t be higher," says Gaspar Perricone, chair of the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Project.
Proponents point to California as an example of maintaining a stable population without hunting; the state permanently banned the trophy hunting of mountain lions in 1990.
Establishing All-Candidate Primary and Ranked Choice Voting General Elections
Proposition 131 would overhaul Colorado's election system by eliminating party primary elections and replacing them with open primaries in which candidates of all political parties participate and the top four vote-getters move on to the general election. It would also implement ranked choice voting in general elections, in which voters rank candidates by preference instead of choosing just one.
Supporters say the measure would weaken the power of political parties, resulting in more moderate candidates who appeal to the general public rather than their base while also making third-party candidates a more viable option for voters. "Twenty twenty-four is proving to be the year that Americans realized primaries are the problem," says Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, a group backing the effort.
Opponents say the measure would increase the role of money in politics, making it harder for non-wealthy candidates to succeed and discouraging voter turnout by making the system more confusing. They point out that the effort is being led by Kent Thiry, a multi-millionaire who previously explored running for governor of Colorado.
Funding for Law Enforcement
Proposition 130 would create a $350 million fund for law enforcement pay, recruitment and training, as well as $1 million in death benefits to the family of any officer killed in the line of duty.
This effort comes as law enforcement recruitment has dipped in Colorado and nationwide. “One of the best tools to fight crime is to ensure Colorado has a corps of highly trained, equipped and well-compensated men and women on the thin blue line, protecting communities and families,” says Michael Fields, president of Advance Colorado, which also pushed 50 and 108.
The measure mandates that the state could not raise taxes to pay for the new funding. Therefore, the $350 million would come from the state's general budget, potentially cutting into funding for other departments and services.
Establishing Veterinary Professional Associates
Proposition 129 would establish a new Veterinary Professional Associate position, allowing people with a master's degree in veterinary care to carry out certain routine procedures.
Proponents say the new position would address dire shortages in the veterinary industry. "Serious issues for the veterinary profession are resulting as veterinarians are unable to meet the increased demand for services," the All Pets Deserve Vet Care coalition says on its website. "Veterinary businesses in Colorado cannot hire enough staff to meet the demand."
Opponents argue that the measure would instead disrupt Colorado’s veterinary system and "lower standards of care." "This level of training and hands-on experience is grossly inadequate for anyone entrusted with the health and safety of Colorado pets and animals," according to the Keep Our Pets Safe campaign. "It is critical that voters see through these attempts to prioritize profits over pets."
Parole Eligibility for Crimes of Violence
Proposition 128 would require offenders convicted of certain violent crimes to serve their full sentence if they've been convicted of a violent crime twice before. For all people convicted of certain violent offenses, it would increase the required percentage of sentence served before parole from 75 percent to 85 percent.
The violent crimes included in the ballot measure are second-degree murder, first-degree assault, first-degree kidnapping, first- and second-degree sexual assault, first-degree arson, first-degree burglary and aggravated robbery. Under current law, these inmates may apply for discretionary parole after serving at least 75 percent of their sentence, or earlier if they’ve earned time off for good behavior.
Organizers behind the measure hope it will help address Colorado's nearly 45 percent recidivism rate — among the highest in the nation. “It is no surprise that when violent criminals are released from prison before they have served even half of their sentences, these felons go right back to their lives of crime,” says Michael Fields, who is pushing this measure, too.
Constitutional Right to School Choice
Amendment 80 would add a child's right to school choice and a parent's right to "direct" their child's education to the state constitution.
Proponents say it would protect Coloradans' current ability to choose between public, private, charter, religious or home schools in the event that state legislation to restrict school choice is passed in the future.
“It’s not guaranteed that the school-choice rights that parents and teachers strongly support will be in place forever, so we need to safeguard them in the state constitution,” notes Kristi Burton Brown, executive vice president of Advance Colorado.
Legislative Ballot Measures
Before the Colorado Legislature adjourned in May, it approved adding five measures to the ballot, in addition to two measures approved for a 2024 vote last year.But many other proposals failed to make it through. Voted down by lawmakers were proposals to require that local governments ask voters for re-approval to retain more tax revenue than allowed by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights; create a parents' bill of rights; enshrine the right to school choice in the state constitution; and expand the homestead property tax exemption for certain seniors.
Two proposals died on the calendar without final votes: measures to prohibit someone appointed to fill a vacancy in the state legislature from running for legislative office in the next term, and to establish a new formula for calculating annual property tax revenue growth limits.
A resolution to allow the legislature to pass a retrospective law to let victims of child sexual abuse pursue lawsuits for the abuse regardless of when it happened made it to the Senate floor — but it failed by just one vote after Republicans united against it.
The legislature also stepped in to stop several competing measures regarding fossil fuels that threatened to flood the ballot in November. Advocates for those initiatives agreed to pull their proposals in a compromise with Polis, state legislators, leaders of environmental groups and oil and gas industry representatives. The April agreement included introducing a pair of bills to establish a new fee for oil and gas production and cut certain compounds from drilling operations. In exchange, legislators killed other bills meant to reduce air pollution, and industry leaders withdrew two planned ballot measures, Initiatives 85 and 86.
A similar legislative compromise attempted to prevent proposed property tax ballot measures by passing a bill to lower property tax rates, but advocates for the measures did not agree to pull their support...at least not during the regular session. But that changed during the special session.
Here are the proposals put on the ballot during the regular legislative session:
Constitutional Bail Exception for First-Degree Murder
Amendment I would allow judges to deny bail to people charged with first-degree murder in cases where "proof is evident or presumption is great."
This initiative comes after Colorado abolished the death penalty in 2020, unintentionally doing away with the ability to deny bail to murder suspects. The state constitution says suspects can only be denied bond in “capital cases,” meaning cases that are punishable by death. Since Colorado no longer punishes crimes with death, no suspects can be denied bail, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled last year.
The ballot measure asks voters to create an exception to this new rule. The legislature approved the resolution nearly unanimously in March, with only five out of 100 legislators voting against it.
“We have seen harrowing examples in Colorado of first-degree murder defendants posting bail and committing further violent crimes before their court date,” says Senator Rhonda Fields, a sponsor of the resolution. “Making first-degree murder defendants ineligible for bail would give victims and their families peace of mind and help keep our communities safe.”
Repealing the Definition of Marriage in the Constitution
Amendment J would remove language from Colorado's constitution that bans same-sex marriage.
A sentence in the constitution currently reads: “Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state.” The ban hasn't been enforced since Colorado legalized gay marriage in 2014, and the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage in 2015. But some proponents of the ballot measure have expressed concern that the court could reconsider the ruling, putting same-sex marriage in jeopardy in Colorado.
"I couldn't imagine a life where I didn't have the ability to get married [to my wife]," said Representative Brianna Titone, a sponsor of the measure, during the House debate. "This amendment, it's not going to change anything, but it will, however, tell the same-sex couples who are your constituents, your family members, your friends...that their love is valid. It's important that they have the freedom to participate."
Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax
Proposition KK would create a 6.5 percent excise tax on gun and ammo purchases to fund mental health services, gun violence prevention and victim services.
The tax would apply to gun dealers, gun manufacturers and ammunition vendors beginning in April 2025, with exemptions for retail sales to law enforcement and military members and for small businesses with less than $20,000 in annual retail sales. The bulk of the revenue — $30 million — would go to the Colorado Crime Victim Services Fund, followed by $8 million to the Behavioral Health Administration and $1 million to support school safety.
Proponents say the tax would help make up for funding shortages caused by federal funding for the Victims of Crime Act decreasing in Colorado by 40 to 50 percent in the next year.
“When I was a young and homeless single mother, victim support services played a significant role in helping me navigate the judicial system so I could safely escape my abuser,” says Majority Leader Monica Duran, a sponsor of the proposal. "I would not be where I am today without these services, and by creating this excise tax, we can ensure that other survivors will have the resources they need to put their lives back together.”
Retain Additional Sports Betting Tax Revenue
Proposition JJ would let the state keep all sports betting tax revenue to fund water and conservation projects instead of refunding excess revenue back to taxpayers.
In 2019, Coloradans voted to let the state collect up to $29 million annually in sports betting tax revenue, but state economists project that the revenue will exceed that cap by $2.8 to $7.2 million annually over the next three years. If voters don't opt to let the state keep the excess funds, the money will have to be refunded to taxpayers as required by the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights.
The initiative is a bipartisan-sponsored effort that received near-unanimous support from the legislature, with only three of 100 lawmakers voting against the proposal. "We had no idea how successful sports betting might be," said Representative Marc Catlin, a sponsor of the proposal, during the House debate. "What we are trying to do is to find a source of revenue where the state of Colorado can march forward into a future where we have the water that we need."
Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines
Amendment K would adjust certain election filing deadlines, including moving up deadlines by one week for filing initiative petitions, referendum petitions and declaration of intent for judges and justices.
According to Senate President Steve Fenberg, county clerks expressed concern that new regulations like ballot translation requirements make it more difficult to make their current deadlines. "Essentially, what it does is it provides one more week for a lot of the work that needs to be done to prepare for an election," Fenberg said during a committee hearing.
Modify Property Tax Exemption for Veterans With Disabilities
Amendment G would expand eligibility for the state's homestead property tax exemption to veterans who are assessed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as having individual unemployability status.
This initiative was passed by state legislators back in 2023 after proponents said thousands of veterans were inadvertently left out of the tax exemption. As it is, the exemption only applies to veterans with a service-related disability rated as 100 percent permanent. This measure would expand the exemption to include veterans with individual unemployability status, meaning they are unable to work even if they do not have a 100 percent rating from the VA.
Judicial Discipline Procedures and Confidentiality
Amendment H would create an independent discipline board to oversee judicial misconduct, responsible for conducting disciplinary hearings and hearing appeals of informal sanctions.
Also passed by legislators in 2023, this initiative came on the heels of a series of scandals and increasing complaints alleging professional misconduct by Colorado judges. Under the measure, the judicial discipline board would comprise four district court judges, four attorneys and four citizens.
