Colorado voters face lengthy November ballot with 14 statewide measures

Colorado voters will decide on 14 statewide ballot measures this November, covering issues ranging from taxes and crime to election rules and civil rights.

The Secretary of State's Office finalized the ballot Wednesday, certifying 13 citizen-initiated measures and one proposal referred by Democratic lawmakers in the state Legislature.

The measures address familiar issues, including immigration enforcement, crime penalties and transgender rights. Others would establish constitutional rights related to natural gas and hunting, and fishing. There are also questions for voters to answer about taxes and government spending.

The measures generally fall into four broad categories: taxes, criminal justice, elections and voting, and civil rights.

Four measures would reshape Colorado's tax structure and government spending limits.

Proposition 136 would permanently cap Colorado's flat income tax rate at its current 4.4%.

Amendment 87 would replace the flat tax with a graduated system that raises taxes on households earning more than $500,000 annually while lowering taxes on those earning less. Backers estimate the change would generate roughly $2 billion in additional revenue during its first year, with funds dedicated to education, healthcare and childcare. The revenue would be exempt from Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) spending limits.

If both Proposition 136 and Amendment 87 pass, the measure receiving the higher vote total would determine whether the 4.4% cap remains in effect.

Proposition NN would allow the state to retain and spend an estimated $4.5 billion or more that would otherwise be refunded to taxpayers under TABOR. During the first decade, the money would be directed toward education and children's programs. After that, lawmakers would determine how the funds are spent.

Proposition 137 would require revenue generated from taxes on sporting goods and outdoor equipment, estimated at about $175 million annually, to be used exclusively for wildfire mitigation and conservation programs.

Three proposals focus on crime and law enforcement.

Proposition 132 would make possession of any amount of fentanyl a felony punishable by up to eight years in prison. Distribution offenses could carry sentences of up to 32 years. Defendants found with less than one gram who successfully complete treatment programs could have charges reduced to misdemeanors.

Proposition 133 would increase penalties for child sex trafficking, allowing sentences of life in prison without parole.

Amendment 81 would require state and local law enforcement agencies to notify federal immigration authorities when a person whose immigration status cannot be verified is charged with a violent crime or has a prior felony conviction.

Two constitutional amendments address election administration and redistricting.

Amendment 84 would require voters casting ballots by mail in state and federal elections to provide either the last four digits of their Social Security number, a driver's license number or a state-issued identification number. In-person voting procedures would remain unchanged.

Amendment 86 would prohibit congressional district boundaries from being redrawn to favor one political party over another and would require approval from Colorado's Independent Congressional Redistricting Commission before changes could be made outside the normal census cycle.

Four measures deal with civil rights.

Proposition 134 would require schools at all levels, from elementary schools through colleges and universities, to limit girls' sports to biological females and boys' sports to biological males. Current Colorado law allows students to participate on teams that align with their gender identity.

Proposition 135 would prohibit gender-transition surgeries for minors when performed in response to a perceived gender identity. The measure would also prohibit insurance providers and state or federal government programs from paying for such procedures.
Amendment 82 establishes a constitutional right to buy and sell natural gas in Colorado.

Amendment 83 would create a constitutional right to hunt and fish and designate hunting and fishing as the preferred methods for managing wildlife populations in the state.

Finally, Amendment 85 would require ballot titles to be written at an eighth grade reading level. The proposal would also prevent the Legislature from requiring specific wording that could interfere with that standard.

With measures touching on taxes, public safety, elections, energy policy and social issues, Colorado voters will face one of the most diverse statewide ballots in recent years when they cast their votes in November.