Good news/bad news on taxes - and a correction

The past Saturday, I spoke before the CO Republican State Central Committee and talked about several initiatives to hike taxes by the left-leaning Colorado Center on Law and Policy.

The information I reported was incorrect, as it was already four days old and things had changed. I had not updated my research. I am pleased to report that CCLP has decided not to pursue their tax increase petitions for November. Additionally, the Title Board denied CCLP's proposed initiative to place a sales tax on services.

CCLP's initiatives asked voters to change the current tax code to have an increased rate on individuals and corporations with specific directions for wealth re-distribution. The initiatives varied only slightly but would have raised taxes in Colorado between $1.07B to $1.512B - and mostly on the backs of people already paying in the higher brackets.

In the CCLP initiatives, approximately 60% of Coloradoans would have paid the same or less tax than they currently pay; the other 40% would have carried the burden.

As reported by Tim Hoover of the Denver Post, a CCLP executive said the group couldn't get enough support to pay for the campaign. But, as Hoover wrote, "Sen. Rollie Heath (D-Boulder) is still proposing a temporary tax-increase initiative that would ask voters to raise income and sales taxes to generate $1.63 billion over three years"....and "another version that would ask voters to make the tax increases permanent."

Christine Burtt
Chairman
CO Republican Business Coalition