Amendment 66, formerly known as Initiative 22, was a proposed November 2013 statewide ballot initiative. Proponents sought to raise revenues by converting the state’s flat rate for personal income taxes — currently, 4.63 percent — to a two-tiered system: 5.0 percent for all income earned up to $75,000, and 5.9 percent for all income earned above $75,000. Voters rejected the initiative by a margin of 65 to 35 percent.

Passage of the amendment would have enacted the legislative changes in Senate Bill 13-213, a revision of the School Finance Act adopted by a unanimous partisan vote in the Colorado General Assembly. The Amendment also would have required at least 43 percent of all state income, sales, and excise tax revenue to be set aside to finance preschool through high school education, restricting the ability of elected legislators to appropriate General Fund dollars for other budget needs.

Independence Institute resources:

Watch the Devil’s Advocate September 2013 episode on “Why the Amendment 66 Tax Hike is a Bad Idea”:

Watch the Devil’s Advocate April 2013 episode on “SB 213: Colorado Billion-Dollar Education Tax”:

State of Colorado resources:

• Senate Bill 213, final enrolled version (142 pages)
• Initiative 22, final approved version
• Legislative Council, Amendment 66 Blue Book Analysis
• Legislative Council, School District Impacts of SB 213
• Legislative Council, School District Impacts of SB 213 vs. Hypothetical $915 Million Revenue Increase with Current Formula
• Legislative Council, Charter School Impacts of SB 213 (sample 45 schools)
• Legislative Council, Charter School Impacts of SB 213 (sample 45 schools) vs. Hypothetical $915 Million Revenue Increase with Current Formula

Opponent resources:

• Coloradans for Real Education Reform issue committee
• Coloradans against Unions Using Kids as Pawns issue committee
• Douglas County Board of Education, resolution opposing Senate Bill 213
• Jeffco Students First
• 31 Other Facts about Initiative 22 / Amendment 66

Proponent resources:

• Colorado Commits to Kids issue committee
• Colorado Commits to Kids presentation
• Senator Michael Johnston, SB 213: Final Concept Paper

Insightful commentary and other resources:

• Vince Carroll, Denver Post, How do Colorado’s taxes actually compare?
• EAG News, Would Amendment 66 hoodwink Colorado voters into spending more on education without reforms?
• Ed Is Watching, Time to Bust Amendment 66 Myths
• Colorado Peak Politics, Double or Nothing: 2013’s Tax Increase Asks for Twice as Much as Failed 2011 Effort
• Ed Is Watching, For Aspen, Jeffco, and Others, Billion-Dollar Tax Initiative Also Happens to be Unfair
• Colorado Peak Politics, Bipartisan Opposition: Coalition Fighting the Billion Dollar Tax Hike Launches
• Ed Is Watching, Report Begs Question: Why did Colo. SB 213 Neglect Performance-Based Funding?
• Watchdog Wire Colorado, Billion-Dollar Colorado Education Tax Hike Holds Increased Transparency Hostage
• Complete Colorado, Ed Tax Proponents Revive 49th in Spending Canard
• Watchdog Wire Colorado, Teachers Union Bankrolls “Colorado Commits to Kids” Statewide Tax Campaign
• Ed Is Watching, More Than a May Day Coincidence: SB 213 Tax Hike and “Phantom” Funding Reform