Amendment 78

This amendment would require all state spending to be approved by the legislature. This includes custodial funds that are targeted for specific purposes, such as federal funding for emergency relief including stimulus funds, as well as health care, human services, transportation and education programs. This amendment adds unnecessary and expensive bureaucracy, which could delay or interrupt state services such as emergency responses to public health or wildfires.  It is important that the Colorado state government be able to respond quickly and efficiently to the needs of its people.  This amendment would create a stalemate in decision making that we just can’t afford.

Tracey recommends voting NO

Proposition 119

This proposition would increase retail marijuana state sales tax and shift money from existing state funds, including money that funds public education, to out-of-school learning and enrichment programs for children. These programs include private education providers, basically any person or organization who claims to be an educational service. It creates another bureaucracy that is completely independent of any oversight from the Colorado Department of Education or State Board of Education, and that has sole discretion on administering the program, including how the funds are distributed.  Colorado already ranks near the bottom of the nation in terms of public school funding. Proposition 119 would only further erode Colorado’s investment in public education. If the residents of Colorado want to raise taxes on marijuana, then designate that that revenue be used to fund public education.

Tracey recommends voting NO

Proposition 120

This proposition would decrease the property assessment rate for multi family housing and lodging properties, which in turn, would either reduce or slow the rate of increase in property taxes for these properties.  It would NOT reduce the assessment rate or resulting property taxes for residential or commercial properties.  Property taxes fund many important local community needs, such as public schools, roads, bridges, firefighters, public parks, street cleaning, trash collection, and libraries. Reducing funding for these important needs is a step in the wrong direction.

Tracey recommends voting NO