The Sopris Sun has whipped up a voter guide to help folks navigate the complex statewide ballot measures facing voters on the Western Slope. The Sun referenced Ballotpedia, the Colorado Secretary of State and the Colorado General Assembly websites to inform this report.
Amendment 81 (Constitutional)
This is a proposal to change Colorado’s Constitution to require local law enforcement and prosecutors to report people charged with violent crime, or with any crime (including traffic violations and petty offenses) if they have a prior felony conviction, to federal immigration authorities if they do not have a legal residence status or if their status can’t be determined.
Currently, local law enforcement in Colorado is able to assist with federal criminal cases, but is barred from assisting in civil immigration cases.
The campaign pushing the proposal is funded by Advance Colorado, a conservative political nonprofit.
Amendment 82 (Constitutional)
If approved by voters, Colorado residents and businesses’ ability to purchase natural gas for cooking or heating would be enshrined in the constitution; businesses in turn would have the right to sell natural gas to those consumers.
If passed, opponents say that jurisdictional-wide electrification projects and goals could be put at risk. Proponents say that the state’s current goal for utility companies to cut emissions by 41% by 2035, compared to 2015, will force consumers to pay to retrofit their homes.
Advance Colorado also led the campaign for this measure.
Amendment 83 (Constitutional)
The proposed amendment would establish the right to hunt and fish by “traditional methods” in the Colorado Constitution, and make it the preferred policy for managing wildlife and fish populations.
Proponents, including the T. Roosevelt Conservation Alliance, the organization leading the campaign, say it would inhibit additional regulations on hunting and fishing in the state, which is part of Colorado’s heritage. Opponents, including Colorado Hunters & Anglers for Sensible Wildlife Conservations, say that greenlighting the vague language of “traditional methods” could open previously banned methods, such as steel-jawed leghold traps and baiting bears.
Amendment 84 (Constitutional)
If passed, Amendment 84 would require mail-in ballots for state or federal elections to include the last four digits of a valid form of identification number, and require election officials to confirm the number. If a number doesn’t match, election officials must notify the voter, who in turn must provide a copy of their identification, otherwise their vote would not be counted.
Amendment 85 (Constitutional)
Amendment 85 would require that all ballot questions be written in plain language and at no more than an eighth-grade reading level. Colorado law already requires that ballot measures be written in plain language, but there is no specified reading level.
Opponents say the amendment could hamper adequately explaining ballot measures.
Amendment 86 (Constitutional)
Amendment 86 would require the Independent Redistricting Commission, formed by voter approval in 2018, and the Colorado Supreme Court to approve mid-decade Congressional redistricting proposals. It would also prohibit approval of redistricted maps that favor one political party.
Currently, Colorado law only requires that these two bodies review redistricting plans after the once-a-decade U.S. census. Redistricting proposals between that time do not require the commission’s or the Court’s review.
According to the Colorado Sun, “Amendment 86 was Republicans’ response to Democratic redistricting efforts in Colorado,” which was intended for this November ballot and came amid a nationwide effort by both parties to gerrymander districting lines in their favor. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against the Democrats ballot initiative in June.
Amendment 87 (Constitutional)
This amendment would set a tiered tax rate based on income in Colorado, replacing the current flat rate of 4.4% for all income levels required by the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR). The revenue from this change would go toward the Colorado Future’s Account to fund K-12 public schools, health care and early childhood care.
People making up to $25,000 a year would be taxed at a 3.7% rate, compared to people making over $1 million at 8.4%. There are six tiers total based on income.
Proposition NN (Statutory)
If passed, the proposition would increase the cap on TABOR to support public education, including increased teacher pay. Some of the surplus would also be used to fund early-childcare programs.
Proponents say that it would provide a source of meaningful revenue for public schools. Opponents say it would cost taxpayers TABOR refunds and impact cost-of-living for Colorado residents.
Proposition 132 (Statutory)
This measure would increase the penalties and felony classifications for people charged with manufacturing, dispensing or possessing fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. It would also require court-ordered treatment for felony possession, depending on the amount. It would remove exceptions for possession that determine whether someone is considered a “habitual criminal” as well as the “reasonable mistake defense” when someone is charged with possession of another substance that contained fentanyl.
Proponents say that the stricter penalties will address fentanyl distribution, while opponents say it could cost lives due to lack of reporting overdoses.
Proposition 133 (Statutory)
Proposition 133 would require a lifetime in prison without parole penalty for offenders convicted of human trafficking of children. The proposition would also include people who knowingly pay for sexual activity with someone under 18 years old, which isn’t currently included under the state’s definition of human trafficking.
Currently, human trafficking of a child for sexual servitude is a class two felony. The proposition would make it a class one felony.
Proponents, including political action committee Protect Kids Colorado, argue that it would deter human trafficking, while opponents say it could incriminate victims of trafficking.
Proposition 134 (Statutory)
Proposition 134 would restrict student athletes (K-12 and collegiate) to participating in school sports based on their biological sex at birth.
Schools would have to classify teams as male, female or mixed. Biological males would be completely barred from participating on designated female teams, but biological females could participate on male teams if there is not a female equivalent of the same sport. Mixed teams would not limit participation.
Protect Kids Colorado is pushing the measure, while opponents say that it would prevent a small group of students from participating in sports they’d like to.
Proposition 135 (Statutory)
This would prevent transgender minors from seeking gender-affirming surgeries from medical providers in Colorado, and prohibit federal or state funding to pay for such procedures.
Proponents, including Protect Kids Colorado, say that children are too young to make such a life-changing decision, and invite the comparison of age restrictions for voting, drinking, etc. Opponents, including One Colorado, say that it’s a health-related issue and that families should have control over, not government.
Proposition 136 (Statutory)
Proposition 136 was introduced in opposition to Amendment 87, and aims to keep the 4.4% fixed cap under TABOR for individuals and corporations, regardless of how much they make.
Proposition 137 (Statutory)
This proposition would exclude sales tax revenue for sporting goods and equipment from TABOR. The measure would use surplus funds for environmental protection, including drought and wildfire prevention.
Supporters, including the Bell Policy Center, say that the funding is highly needed to support wildfire prevention and conservation. Opponents are concerned that TABOR tax refunds would be reduced and that the legislature wouldn’t have the control to reallocate the funds.