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Tag: TABOR Refunds

Prop NN supporters say the money is guaranteed and K-12 only. The law says otherwise.
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Prop NN supporters say the money is guaranteed and K-12 only. The law says otherwise.

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice The official campaign for Proposition NN tells Colorado voters the measure "requires a minimum 2% annual funding increase" for local school districts. The Yes on NN campaign tells voters the measure "requires a minimum 2% annual funding increase directly to local school districts." Source: Yes for Colorado Kids The state's largest teachers union goes further. On its campaign page, the Colorado Education Association says the money "is limited to K-12 only and cannot be used for anything else." The Colorado Education Association's Prop NN campaign page, captured Sept. 20, 2026. Source: Colorado Education Association Neither statement matches the law voters will be asked to approve. Prop...
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Frizell Makes the Case for Education Reform Without Shortchanging Taxpayers
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Colorado Politics, Approved, Commentary, State

Frizell Makes the Case for Education Reform Without Shortchanging Taxpayers

By Lisa Frizell | Commentary, Colorado Politics If we truly want to fix Colorado, we must respect taxpayers, demand accountability and prioritize classroom results.  Proposition NN fails the test.  The far left put forth this measure, presenting it as the only way to fund public schools. Colorado voters should look past the title and see what Prop NN really does.  The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights says money collected above the state’s spending cap goes back to the taxpayers. Proposition NN asks voters to increase the spending limitation and lets the state keep all the money above the spending cap, money that would otherwise go back to Colorado families.  The legislature’s nonpartisan staff estimated Proposition NN...
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Colorado schools expect 16,000 fewer students as funding debate approaches
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado schools expect 16,000 fewer students as funding debate approaches

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Colorado Schools Are Losing 16,000 More Students. And yet there’s a ballot measure saying we need more money to go to schools. The video linked below is a great one on the basics of not only school funding but also the expected drop in enrollment that Colorado schools are projected to see this Fall. From the video’s description, the hosts cover the following: -Why Colorado is projected to lose 16,000 students-How does the School Finance Act determines funding?-Why declining enrollment doesn’t always mean immediate funding cuts?-How do districts plan their budgets?-What parents should (and shouldn’t) expect this school year.-What’s still changing in Colorado’s education funding formula? So wherever yo...
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Colorado protected school funding without touching TABOR refunds. Now it wants those too.
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Colorado protected school funding without touching TABOR refunds. Now it wants those too.

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Last session, the Colorado General Assembly passed a bill asking voters to waive their TABOR refunds to fund education.  The ballot title calls it "without raising taxes." No rates change.  But it asks Coloradans to let the state keep money the constitution currently requires it to give back, and it comes one year after the legislature moved more than $200 million into a protected school account without touching anyone's refund at all. The two moves address the same problem. They work very differently. What the legislature did first In 2025, tucked inside HB25-1320, the School Finance Act, a Senate Appropriations Committee amendment drafted by Sen. Kolker (D) and Sen. Kirkmeyer (R), created something...
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Where did your TABOR refund go? Follow the spending
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Where did your TABOR refund go? Follow the spending

By Jarvis Caldwell and Gabe Evans | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice TABOR, otherwise known as the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, was created to protect Coloradans from bloated government spending, prevent politicians from overtaxing working families, and ensure extra revenue is returned to the people who earned it. But under Governor Polis' fiscal mismanagement and runaway spending, Coloradans are paying the price — through dramatically reduced TABOR refunds this year and no refunds at all next year.  TABOR is a provision in the Colorado Constitution passed by voters in 1992 that puts strict limits on how much the government can tax, spend, and grow unless otherwise voted on and approved. It ensures government spending increases only by inflation and population growth and...
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HB26-1240: Colorado Democrats Expand Tax Giveaways—and Eat Your TABOR Refund
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

HB26-1240: Colorado Democrats Expand Tax Giveaways—and Eat Your TABOR Refund

Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project HB26-1240 (linked first below) is a great example of tax policy which mimics a dynamic I have seen with other policy such as gun control. Rather than taking all in one big shot, something that would get all kinds of undue attention, you take in a piecewise manner. E.g. in year 1 you get red flag laws passed, but they’re limited so as to not cause too much heartburn. When that settles down, you can then spend subsequent years making additions to that first law. In the case of HB26-1240, you start by offering expanded tax credits to people and then you expand the credits further. In order to fully appreciate what I mean, we have to do some background first. Colorado’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is another ...
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Framed as education, but tied to TABOR: Measure to keep surplus revenue advances
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Rocky Mountain Voice, State, Top Stories

Framed as education, but tied to TABOR: Measure to keep surplus revenue advances

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice Colorado’s fight over spending limits is back at the Capitol, and this time it could end up in front of voters. The Senate Finance Committee voted 6–3 on March 12 to advance SB26-135, teeing up a 2026 vote on whether the state can keep revenue above the TABOR cap instead of sending it back as refunds. It comes down to a basic question: should that extra revenue go back to taxpayers, or stay with the state? What follows is less straightforward. How the bill works The proposal does not rewrite TABOR itself. Instead, it puts that decision to voters—whether to allow the state to keep and spend money that would otherwise be refunded. If voters sign off, the state could retain revenue above the cap, up to an amount ...
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