There will be up to 15 state ballot issues in November in Colorado.
Citizen initiatives that have qualified for the ballot propose changes to state law that include:
BAD. Increased criminal penalties for the possession or sale of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
A LITTLE BAD. Life in prison for the human trafficking of a minor.
BAD. A ban on transgender youth from playing on sports teams not aligned with their biological sex.
BAD. A ban on gender-affirming surgery for people younger than 18.Proposed constitutional changes that have qualified for the ballot include:
BAD. A requirement that law enforcement notify federal immigration officials when an immigrant without proper legal status is charged with a violent crime.
BAD. The establishment of a right to use natural gas for cooking and heating.
BAD. A mandate that all taxes and fees collected for motor vehicles and gas be spent on roads.Other measures are still awaiting final approval by the secretary of state:
GOOD. A proposal that would move Colorado to a graduated income tax system in which high earners pay a higher tax rate, marking a big change in tax policy.
BAD. A cap on the state’s income tax rate.
BAD. A requirement that sales taxes on sporting goods be earmarked for conservation efforts.
BAD. A mandate for additional voter verification for mail-in ballots.
A LITTLE BAD. A ban on congressional redistricting outside the typical once-a-decade census cycle.
BAD. The creation of a constitutional right to hunt and fish.
A LITTLE BAD. A requirement that ballot questions be written at an 8th grade reading level.GOOD. A proposal that would raise the amount of tax money the state can keep under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — known as raising the TABOR cap — was placed on the ballot by legislators last spring. That extra money, which normally would be returned through refunds or another way, would be mandated to go to education.