DENVER — Polls closed at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in Colorado's Nov. 5, 2019 election. In addition to two statewide measures, CC and DD, voters also weighed in on a number of local ballot questions ranging from taxes and debt to marijuana and broadband.
Proposition CC
Proposition CC asked voters to give up statewide TABOR refunds indefinitely.
Results: Defeated | 54.68% or 773,145 voted no
- A "YES" vote allows the state to keep revenue above the current limit instead of issuing TABOR refunds on years when the state collects too much. The money from CC would be spent on schools and roads. At least, initially. Because this is a proposition, it only changes state statute and future lawmakers can change state statutes without a vote of the people.
- A "NO" vote keeps the current structure in place where the state would have to issue TABOR refunds for revenue above and beyond the required limit.
Voters were NOT being asked to give up your state-issued income tax refunds. This only deals with excess money the state collects that is currently required to be refunded to voters.
RELATED: Prop DD | Colorado election results
TABOR
Not every year, but in some years, Colorado must refund you money because of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which you might know as TABOR.
Voters passed TABOR in 1992. The Constitutional amendment requires the state and local governments to get voter approval before enacting new tax increases or bonds, and it puts a cap on how much tax money Colorado can collect and spend. The rate is based on inflation and population. If the state collects too much, you get back money.
Maybe this initialism, crafted by 9NEWS political guy Marshall Zelinger, will help:
T: Tax increases are put to a vote of the people.
A: Annual spending limits - the state can only keep and spend a certain amount of tax money based on a specific formula.
B: Ballot Language - tax or revenue questions must be worded a specific way in all capital letters.
O: [Um, we didn’t have anything for O.]
R: Refunds - if the state collects more money than the formula allows, residents are given refunds.
RELATED: Read more about Prop CC
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