COLORADO, USA — Colorado voters will have a lot to decide this November. Every registered voter will have 14 issues on their statewide ballot: seven referred by the state legislature and seven citizen-initiated measures.
Citizen-initiated measures
Amendment 79: Enshrining the right to legal abortions in the state constitution
Abortion rights groups turned in nearly 240,000 signatures in support of a ballot initiative that would put the right to an abortion in the state constitution.
In 2022, as it appeared likely the U.S. Supreme Court would overturn Roe V. Wade, the Colorado General Assembly passed a bill that guarantees certain reproductive rights in Colorado. Gov. Jared Polis signed it into law. This ballot initiative goes a step further by enshrining those rights into the state constitution.
This is a constitutional amendment, so it will need 55% of the vote to pass.
Proposition 127: Banning mountain lion hunting in Colorado
The initiative, backed by the animal rights group Cats Aren't Trophies, would ban the hunting of mountain lions, bobcats and lynx.
State and federal officials would still be allowed to kill the animals for population management.
According to Colorado Parks and Wildlife, an average of 505 mountain lions are harvested each year. The proposal has received strong backlash from hunting groups across the state, with many referring to it as more "ballot box biology."
Amendment 80: Adding the right to school choice to the state constitution
Public schools of choice was put into state law in 1994. This year, Amendment 80 asks voters to put school choice in the state’s constitution.
This amendment would enshrine the right to school choice into the state constitution. Under the amendment, school choice would include neighborhood, charter, private, and home schools, open enrollment options and future innovations in education.
A YES vote on Amendment 80 puts school choice into the state’s constitution, which can only be changed by a vote of the people, and not by state lawmakers.
A NO vote on Amendment 80 changes nothing, as school choice would remain in state law.
This is a constitutional amendment, so it will need 55% of the vote to pass.
Proposition 128: Parole eligibility
Earlier this year, Republican lawmakers tried to pass a bill that would make people convicted of violent crimes stay in prison longer. The idea failed, but now it will be on the ballot in November.
The proposition is backed by Advance Colorado, a conservative advocacy group. It would require people convicted of certain violent crimes, such as murder, sexual assault and kidnapping, to serve at least 85% of their sentence in prison before they're eligible for parole or to receive earned time.
Under current law, a person convicted of certain violent crimes must serve 75% of their sentence before being eligible for parole. They could be eligible for parole earlier because of "earned time" or good behavior.
Analysts at the state capitol estimate the increase in prison time would cost taxpayers up to $28 million per year.
Proposition 129: Establishing a new veterinary position
The proposition would establish a new position called Veterinary Professional Associate (VPA). This position could be filled by someone with a master's degree in veterinary care. They'd be able to work under the supervision of a veterinarian to provide care, like diagnosing conditions, providing treatment, prescribing medicine and even performing some surgeries.
The Vet Care Coalition is behind the measure. The coalition is a group of veterinarians, pet owners and animal welfare organizations that works to increase access to vet care.
Proposition 130: Funding for law enforcement training and support
The initiative, known as "Back the Blue," would require the state to put $350 million dollars of taxpayer money to the newly created Peace Officer Training and Support Fund with the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
It would also create a $1 million death benefit for families of officers killed in the line of duty. The proposition comes from the conservative group Advance Colorado.
Proposition 131: Open primaries and ranked-choice voting
The initiative would change the way the state's voting system works. Under the initiative, in most of Colorado's primary elections, candidates from all parties would run against each other. Then there would be ranked-choice voting in the general election. Ranked-choice voting is when voters pick multiple candidates and rank them in order of preference.
The initiative comes from former DaVita CEO Kent Thiry who has used his wealth to run initiatives to change how Colorado's elections work.
In June, state Democrats attempted to head off the ballot initiative by passing a bill preventing a switch to ranked-choice voting in the near future.
Gov. Jared Polis signed that bill but said the state will work to "implement the will of the voters."
Measures referred by the state legislature
Amendment G: Creating a property tax exemption for more disabled veterans
The amendment to the state constitution would expand property tax exemption for veterans with disabilities.
Currently, the state constitution allows a veteran who has a service-connected disability rated as a 100% permanent disability to claim a property tax exemption. The amendment would expand eligibility to veterans who were disabled during service and are now unable to work.
This is a constitutional amendment, so it will need 55% of the vote to pass.
Amendment H: Adding an independent judicial discipline board
The amendment to the state constitution would create a new independent judicial discipline board made up of district court judges, attorneys and citizens.
The panel would conduct disciplinary hearings for judges accused of wrongdoing and be allowed to dismiss a complaint, impose informal sanctions or impose formal sanctions.
This is a constitutional amendment, so it will need 55% of the vote to pass.
Amendment I: Constitutional bail exception for first-degree murder
This amendment is meant to fix another bill's unintended consequence. If passed by voters, the measure will amend Colorado's constitution and restore it to how court processes existed before a state Supreme Court ruling in 2023.
Before the ruling, people charged with first-degree murder could be held without bond if the judge found significant evidence against the defendant. Then the state's highest court ruled that because state lawmakers repealed capital punishment, the death penalty, in Colorado in 2020, first-degree murder must be eligible for bond.
Colorado voters will now decide in the November election whether to restore first-degree murder as a non-bailable offense.
This is a constitutional amendment, so it will need 55% of the vote to pass.
Amendment J: Stripping anti-gay marriage clause from Colorado's constitution
The amendment would remove a clause from the constitution banning same-sex marriage.
Currently, the state's constitution says, "Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state." That has not been enforceable since the 2015 Supreme Court ruling which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
Under Colorado law, it needs a simple majority of voters to repeal a provision of the state constitution.
Amendment K: Bumping up ballot deadlines
The amendment would move up the deadline for citizen initiatives to file their signature petitions by one week. Currently, the deadline is three months before the general election. The amendment would change it to three months and one week before. The same change would apply to justices or judges to file a declaration of intent to run for another term.
It would also require nonpartisan researchers to publish the text and titles of ballot measures a month earlier.
This is a constitutional amendment, so it will need 55% of the vote to pass.
Proposition JJ: Allowing the state to keep all tax revenue collected from sports betting
The proposal would allow the state to keep and spend all the tax money it collects from sports betting. Voters approved sports betting in 2019. At the time, state legislators estimated it would bring in about $29 million in tax revenue every year.
Now, state economists predict sports betting will bring in even more money. If voters approve the measure, the extra tax dollars would go toward water conservation and protection projects.
Proposition KK: Adding a state-level sales tax to guns and ammunition
The proposal from Democratic lawmakers asks voters to approve a 6.5% sales tax on guns and ammunition. If approved by voters, the money would support victims of violent crimes.
Conservatives argued the tax would be too much of a burden on gun store owners and customers, especially when considering they are already paying local sales taxes and an existing federal excise tax on gun sales.