A check of the potential ballot measures for November shows only one has qualified so far, but more than two dozen are in the wings waiting for different approvals to start gathering signatures.
Here’s what we have so far on the ballot, a measure to change the age qualification to run for the state legislature from 25 to 21. Hello, millennials.
Here are a couple of measures approved for signature circulation:
An initiative to give fines and revenues forfeited from criminal acts to victims and charities. Proponents think it will prevent governments and courts from imposing stiff financial penalties if they can’t keep the money.
The Identification Card and Driver’s License Procurement Requirements Initiative would allow the use of a Social Security number to obtain these documents.
There are more than a dozen initiatives that are still awaiting approval for circulation.
Multiple versions of a redistricting for legislative and congressional districts were filed.
The Repeal of Provisions Concerning Large-Capacity Ammunition Magazines Initiative would also do just that, it would repeal all provisions dealing with large-capacity magazines, including restrictions on and exceptions to permitted ownership.
The Requirements for Providing Public Education Initiative requires taxpayers to fully fund daycare, primary and college. There are several similar ballot proposals.
And, there’s an initiative to raise income taxes and reduce property taxes to create a fund dedicated to public education.
One measure dealing with severance taxes on oil and gas would lower exemptions from severance taxes from an average of 15 barrels a day to 7.5 barrels, and natural gas from 90,000 cubic feet a day to 45,000. It would also increase severance taxes by 5 percent.
Another ballot measure would set new distance requirements for oil and gas projects — 2,500 feet from parks and open space, any body of water or stream and probably mud puddles.
A ballot measure on the other end of the energy spectrum requires that property owners be compensated for any reduction in property value caused by state laws or regulations — in other words, if they can’t produce the energy on their land, they would have to be compensated for that government taking.
The Display of Healthcare Service Prices Requirement Initiative would require healthcare providers to provide an easily accessible list of prices for each service offered. The price list would have to be available. The Display of Drug Prices Requirement Initiative requires pharmacies to clearly display their drug prices.
Initiatives filed with Legislative Council to be on the ballot include measures to lower the drinking age from 21 to 18.
Then there’s the Automatic Voter Registration via Public Entities Initiative that goes beyond Motor/Voter, and will register everyone who has ever given their name, address, citizenship information and identification to a “public entity” to vote.
There’s also a ballot measure to make it legal to buy voters, only with tax dollars.
The Colorado Income Tax to Fund Voter Credit Initiative puts a 0.5 percent tax on those earning more than $405,000, and then divides that money among voters.
There are bunch more waiting in the wings, so we will keep PeakNation™ posted.