Coloradans know a good tax deal when they see it, so they rejected the so-called “Fair Tax Initiative” ballot measure in favor of a proposal that actually lowers income tax levels across the board.
The proposal that goes to voters in the November general election asks if you want to lower tax levels from 4.63% to 4.55%?
We predict it will win with a resounding “Duh!”
The “Fair Tax” folks are crying they would have gotten the signatures necessary to make the ballot if it weren’t for that pesky pandemic.
So far, seven ballot measures are set for voters to consider, while five additional initiatives await approval from the Secretary of State’s office.
The deadline to submit signatures was Monday.
Here are the measures that made the ballot through citizen petitioning:
- Repeal the national popular vote law that Democrats rammed through the state legislature.
- Hassle ranchers by releasing even more gray wolves in the state.
- Prohibit abortions after 22 weeks.
- The Colorado citizen requirement, to support or oppose amending the state constitution to ensure only U.S. citizens can vote.
Here are the three measures put forth by the state legislature for the November ballot:
- Repeal the Gallagher Amendment and wave bye-bye to your huge residential property tax cut next year, because lawmakers want to spend more money and if they promise it will go to schools and fire departments, they think voters will fall for it.
- Raise cigarette taxes an additional $2.64 over the next seven years. It also jacks up taxes on vaping products more than double of what the product actually cost — 56% — over the next three years. In seven years, that tax would be bumped to 62% of the product cost.
- More rules for obtaining charitable gaming licenses.
Petitions still pending approval include:
- Lowering the state income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.55%.
- No more sneaky taxes through fees, voters would get a vote in fees that raise more than $100 million over five years.
- A state-run family and medical leave insurance agency to collect even more taxes from our paycheck to maybe approve family or medical leave.
- Bets are off! Casinos could remove all the limits on betting.
In addition to the graduated tax measure, five other initiatives to put restrictions on the oil and gas industry will not be on the November ballot.