Informed Voting: Colorado House Passes Bill Requiring More Transparency in Ballot Measures
In the 2024 election, Colorado voters approved a conservative-backed ballot measure that tasked lawmakers with finding $350 million for police training. Now, state legislators are pushing for more transparency in future ballot measures that impact the state budget.
The Colorado House recently passed House Bill 1084, which aims to provide voters with additional information about ballot measures that call for increased state spending without a designated funding source, such as a tax hike. If passed, these measures would need to specify which existing programs would be cut to cover the costs or identify potential sources of funding, like Medicaid or school funding.
Sponsored by Denver Democrats Rep. Cecelia Espenoza and Rep. Sean Camacho, the bill is a response to the lack of clarity in Proposition 130, the 2024 police funding ballot measure. Despite its passage, Proposition 130 did not outline where the $350 million would come from, leading lawmakers to scramble for funding amidst budget constraints.
If HB-1084 becomes law and a similar ballot measure is proposed, supporters would have to pinpoint state funding to reallocate for their initiative. Failure to do so would result in a warning on the ballot language, indicating potential cuts to Medicaid and school funding, along with a specified dollar amount to be reduced.
While the bill passed the House along party lines, Republican members voiced concerns about the potential bias in presenting information on citizens’ initiatives. Rep. Brandi Bradley of Littleton argued that the bill framed such initiatives as harmful and allowed the government to shape the narrative on policies it disagrees with.
The bill now heads to the Senate for further consideration before potentially reaching Governor Jared Polis’ desk. Stay informed about Colorado politics by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, The Spot.
