Democrats in the state legislature have skirted the Taxpayers Bill of Rights for years to raise taxes on Coloradans without a vote of the people by deceptively redefining taxes as fees.
It looks like voters will finally get the opportunity to put a stop to the sneaky practice.
More than the required number of petition signatures were submitted this week to put Initiative 295, the “Vote on Fees” measures, on the ballot for the November general election.
Supporters needed more than 124,000 signatures but turned in more than 196,000 on Thursday.
Every time Democrats pass a tax disguised as a fee, they are willfully ignoring the will of Colorado voters.
If John Hickenlooper had his way as governor, more than $2 billion in tax hikes would have passed under his watch but Coloradans voted down those increases.
Unfortunately, that was not the case with “fees” during Hickenlooper’s tenure as governor. The “hospital provider fee” is a good example of how Democrats bypass TABOR.
The “Vote on Fees” initiative seeks to stop this deception and force our lawmakers to get permission from Colorado voters before increasing taxes or fees.
“Getting this many signatures during a pandemic shows how much enthusiasm there is for this ballot issue,” Michael Fields, a Vote on Fees sponsor and executive director of Colorado Rising State Action, said in a statement. “Just like with taxes, Coloradans should be able to vote on big fees too.”
The Secretary of State must certify the submitted signatures are registered voters in order for the initiative to make the ballot.