Bishop: CO Legislature using TABOR refunds to pay for special interest tax benefits
With the public distracted by gun control, abortion, and other hot-button issues, the Democrat-controlled Colorado legislature is quietly advancing nearly two dozen bills to redistribute your taxpayer refund to special interests. The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) in Colorado’s Constitution requires the state to refund excess tax revenue back to taxpayers. The state cannot spend this surplus […]
Five fiscal policy issues to watch in the 2023 legislative session
Voters gave Colorado Democrats a decisive victory in this year’s state races, yet they also passed Independence Institute’s income tax cut by approving Proposition 121. While they elect left-of-center candidates, they continue to expect low taxes and fiscal restraint by their government. As recently as 2018, Republicans controlled the Colorado senate and served as a […]
Comparing 2022 Gubernatorial Nominees’ Plans to Eliminate Colorado’s Income Tax
The 2022 Republican nominee for governor of Colorado, Heidi Ganahl, has proposed eliminating Colorado’s income tax, calling it a “big bold idea to take us to zero income tax.” On September 30th at a gubernatorial candidates’ forum hosted by Colorado Concern, the moderator, Dean Singleton, pressed Ganahl on her plan for accomplishing this. In response, […]
Tax Expenditure Modifications, 2019-2022: Governor Polis’s Record on Special Interest Tax Benefits
Governor Polis has garnered national recognition for his politically libertarian and right-leaning ideas as a Democrat, especially on the issues of limited government and tax policy. Breaking from the Democrat party line, during the 9News gubernatorial candidates debate in October 2018, he told Coloradans he wanted to eliminate special interest tax benefits and use the […]
Independence Institute Comments on 2nd Initiative 31 Draft Analysis – Income Tax Cut
The state constitution requires the state to produce a voter information booklet, commonly known as the “Blue Book,” on every legislatively referred and citizen initiated measure to appear on the statewide election ballot. The booklet, prepared by Legislative Council Staff (LCS), must provide fair and impartial analysis of each measure. LCS solicits comments from the […]
Reducing state income tax a counter to recession
Reducing state income tax a counter to recession Today at 8:30 a.m., the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis will release second quarter GDP numbers. If it reports negative economic growth as economists expect, then a technical recession has already begun in the United States. Colorado can insulate itself by reducing the state income tax. Understanding why […]
Independence Institute Comments on Initiative 31 Draft Analysis – Income Tax Cut
The state constitution requires the state to produce a voter information booklet, commonly known as the “Blue Book,” on every legislatively referred and citizen initiated measure to appear on the statewide election ballot. The booklet, prepared by Legislative Council Staff (LCS), must provide fair and impartial analysis of each measure. LCS solicits comments from the […]
Backgrounder: $617 million in Hidden Taxes from 2021 Session
With the 2021 Colorado regular legislative session concluded, lawmakers have approved tax and fee increases on Coloradans of up to $617 million annually without voter consent. The new revenues are enough to give every schoolteacher in Colorado a $11,343.65 per year raise. The tax and fee increases amount to an average of $430 per year […]
Amendment B Repeals Property Owners’ Constitutional Tax Protections
Colorado has 4,518 active local governments that collect property taxes. Every single one of them wants more money. So do the interest groups that get money from those governments. Passing Amendment B will help them get it.
Mismanaged pension funds are imperiling state budgets
As the looming public pension storm gathers strength, debate is expanding past technical matters and into the governance structures of taxpayer-funded pension plans. The problems that beset our public pensions are not the result of random chance, evil spirits, or swamp gas. They are the result of conscious decisions made by human beings.
The Empty Promise and Untold Cost of Urban Renewal in Colorado
This paper examines the empty promises and untold costs of Urban Renewal Areas (URAs) and the use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) in URAs in Colorado.
VIDEO: What is TABOR?
Dr. Paul Prentice, senior fellow in fiscal policy here at the Independence Institute, explains what the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) is in one minute!
