Democrats Push Plan to Eliminate TABOR Refunds For The Next 10 Years

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics

Colorado voters could decide this fall whether billions of dollars that would otherwise be returned as refunds under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights should instead go to public schools under a ballot measure unveiled Thursday by Democrats.

Supporters say the proposal would address chronic underfunding in K-12 education, while critics argue it takes money away from taxpayers and amounts to sidestepping the state’s constitutional spending limits. Supporters have insisted that schools are underfunded to the tune of billions of dollars, while one study says revenue and spending by schools have significantly grown in the last few years, with a noticeable shift toward non-instructional spending.

Under the proposed ballot measure, the amount the state could retain beyond the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights cap would equal what Colorado spends on K-12 education — about $4.7 billion in general funds in the 2025-26 budget year.

The ballot measure would likely eliminate TABOR refunds for the next 10 years, with those dollars going to K-12 education, estimated at around $2 billion.

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