What’s on the Ballot?

Uncategorized

Colorado’s Ballot Questions

  • COLORADO’S BLUE BOOK
  • Initiative 89 – Right to Abortion – a constitutional amendment that would protect the right to abortion
  • Initiative 91 – Prohibit Trophy Hunting – a statutory measure proposing a ban on trophy hunting of mountain lions, bobcats or lynx
  • Initiative 112 – Concerning Eligibility for Parole – a statutory measure making people convicted of certain violent crimes ineligible for parole until they have served at least 85% of their sentences
  • Initiative 138 – School Choice in K-12 Education – provides a statutory right to school choice
  • Initiative 145 – Establish Qualifications and Registration for Veterinary Professional Associate – would create a new mid-level position between a vet technician a veterinarian called a veterinary professional associate
  • Initiative 157 – Funding for Law Enforcement – would create a “Peace Officer Training and Support Fund” to help hire, train and retain new officers
  • Initiative 310 – Concerning the Conduct of Elections – election reform measure proposing to replace partisan primaries with a single primary for each state and federal office, and enact a ranked choice voting system to decide general elections
  • Amendment G – expands the Homestead property-tax exemption to veterans with disabilities rated at less than 100% but who are assessed by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs as having individual unemployability status
  • Amendment H – creates a new Independent Judicial Discipline Adjudicative Board to conduct disciplinary hearings and hear appeals of informal remedial action orders from the Commission on Judicial Discipline
  • Amendment I – makes first-degree murder an offense for which defendants are ineligible for bail
  • Amendment J –  revokes  the currently unenforceable provision in the Colorado constitution declaring that marriage is valid only between one man and one woman
  • Amendment K – moves up deadlines for filing initiative and referendum petitions and declaration of intent for judges and justices by one week and would let nonpartisan staff publish the texts and titles of ballot measures at least 45 days before an election
  • Amendment JJ – allows the state to retain and spend all sports-betting tax revenue collected beyond the $29 million authorized in 2019 
  • Amendment KK – imposes a 6.5% excise tax on firearms dealers and manufacturers and ammunition vendors, beginning on April 1, to fund crime-victim services, mental-health services and the School Disbursement Program Cash Fund

House District 59 

Senate District 6

  • Incumbent Cleave Simpson (R) Total Contributions: $129,797.38,  Expenditures: $54,204.07
    • Colorado Association of REALTORS endorses Cleave Simpson.
  • Vivian Smotherman (D): Total Contributions: $42,913.57, Expenditures: $41,605.71

La Plata County Commissioner District 3

  • Incumbent Matt Salka (D) Total Contributions: $13,215.93. Expenditures: $819.16
  • Paul Black (R) Total Contributions: $24,577.99, Expenditures: $21,759.00.

La Plata County Treasurer

  • Ann Monica Grushkin (I)
  • Write-In Candidate Miles Walsh (D)

Durango School District Bond Measure

  • The Durango School District 9-R Board of Education unanimously voted on August 27th  to approve ballot language for a $150 million bond measure that will appear on the November ballot. The proposed bond, if passed, would fund projects such as addressing deferred maintenance, building a new elementary school at Three Springs, upgrading safety and security systems, and addressing housing for staff.

County Lodgers Tax

  • August 27th, La Plata County Commissioners approved a resolution to ask voters in November whether to reallocate 70% of the county’s lodgers’ tax for child care and affordable housing efforts. Commissioners listened to about an hour of public input mostly in support of the resolution before the vote. Commissioner Marsha Porter Norton said she thinks the lack of childcare is at a crisis level and that even if the voters pass the reallocation, it will take a concerted effort to put it in place. Prior to the unanimous vote approving the resolution, Commissioner Matt Salka called it a win/win, saying it will promote jobs, development and business in the county. Business organizations Local First, Durango Business Improvement District, and Durango Chamber of Commerce had asked Commissioners to cap the reallocation at 50% for a trial period to assess the impacts on the tourism industry.