Ballot Title Setting Board
2019-2020

The title as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

STATE TAXES SHALL BE INCREASED $1,500,000,000 ANNUALLY BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND A CHANGE TO THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES CONCERNING FUNDING RELATING TO PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, CREATING AN EXCEPTION TO THE SINGLE RATE STATE INCOME TAX FOR INCREMENTAL TAX RATE INCREASES TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING; INCREASING INCOME TAX RATES FOR INDIVIDUALS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATES BY CREATING FOUR INCREMENTAL TAX BRACKETS STARTING AT AN ADDITIONAL .37 PERCENTAGE POINTS FOR INCOME ABOVE $150,000 AND INCREASING TO AN ADDITIONAL 3.12 PERCENTAGE POINTS FOR INCOME ABOVE $400,000; INCREASING THE CORPORATE INCOME TAX RATE BY 1.37 PERCENTAGE POINTS; FOR PURPOSES OF SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY TAXES, ESTABLISHING THE RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT RATE EFFECTIVE FOR THE 2019 PROPERTY TAX YEAR AS THE PERMANENT RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT RATE AND REDUCING THE CURRENT NONRESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT RATE OF 29% TO 24%; REQUIRING REVENUE FROM THE INCOME TAX INCREASES TO BE DEPOSITED IN A DEDICATED PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND AND ALLOWING THE REVENUE TO BE RETAINED AND SPENT AS VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGES; REQUIRING THE LEGISLATURE TO ANNUALLY APPROPRIATE MONEY FROM THE FUND TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SUPPORT PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON AN EQUITABLE BASIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE WITHOUT DECREASING GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS; DIRECTING THE LEGISLATURE TO ENACT, REGULARLY REVIEW, AND REVISE WHEN NECESSARY, A NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE LAW THAT MEETS SPECIFIED CRITERIA; UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE HAS ENACTED A NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE LAW, REQUIRING THE MONEY IN THE FUND TO BE ANNUALLY APPROPRIATED FOR SPECIFIED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PURPOSES; REQUIRING THE MONEY IN THE FUND TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO INCREASE BY INFLATION, UP TO 5% ANNUALLY; AND REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO COMMISSION A STUDY OF THE USE OF THE FUND WITHIN FIVE YEARS.

The ballot title and submission clause as designated and fixed by the Board is as follows:

SHALL STATE TAXES SHALL BE INCREASED $1,500,000,000 ANNUALLY BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND A CHANGE TO THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES CONCERNING FUNDING RELATING TO PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, CREATING AN EXCEPTION TO THE SINGLE RATE STATE INCOME TAX FOR INCREMENTAL TAX RATE INCREASES TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING; INCREASING INCOME TAX RATES FOR INDIVIDUALS, TRUSTS, AND ESTATES BY CREATING FOUR INCREMENTAL TAX BRACKETS STARTING AT AN ADDITIONAL .37 PERCENTAGE POINTS FOR INCOME ABOVE $150,000 AND INCREASING TO AN ADDITIONAL 3.12 PERCENTAGE POINTS FOR INCOME ABOVE $400,000; INCREASING THE CORPORATE INCOME TAX RATE BY 1.37 PERCENTAGE POINTS; FOR PURPOSES OF SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPERTY TAXES, ESTABLISHING THE RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT RATE EFFECTIVE FOR THE 2019 PROPERTY TAX YEAR AS THE PERMANENT RESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT RATE AND REDUCING THE CURRENT NONRESIDENTIAL ASSESSMENT RATE OF 29% TO 24%; REQUIRING REVENUE FROM THE INCOME TAX INCREASES TO BE DEPOSITED IN A DEDICATED PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND AND ALLOWING THE REVENUE TO BE RETAINED AND SPENT AS VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGES; REQUIRING THE LEGISLATURE TO ANNUALLY APPROPRIATE MONEY FROM THE FUND TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SUPPORT PRESCHOOL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL PUBLIC EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS ON AN EQUITABLE BASIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE WITHOUT DECREASING GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS; DIRECTING THE LEGISLATURE TO ENACT, REGULARLY REVIEW, AND REVISE WHEN NECESSARY, A NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE LAW THAT MEETS SPECIFIED CRITERIA; UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE HAS ENACTED A NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE LAW, REQUIRING THE MONEY IN THE FUND TO BE ANNUALLY APPROPRIATED FOR SPECIFIED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND PURPOSES; REQUIRING THE MONEY IN THE FUND TO SUPPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS; REQUIRING GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATIONS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION TO INCREASE BY INFLATION, UP TO 5% ANNUALLY; AND REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO COMMISSION A STUDY OF THE USE OF THE FUND WITHIN FIVE YEARS?

Hearing April 3, 2019

Single subject approved; staff draft amended; titles set.
The Board determined that the proposed initiative does not only repeal in whole or in part a provision of the state constitution. The requirement for approval by fifty-five percent of the votes cast applies to this initiative.
The Board made one technical correction to the text of the initiative. In Section 4 of the initiative, the Board changed “2018 General Election” to “2019 Coordinated Election.”
Hearing adjourned 1:59 PM.

Rehearing April 17, 2019

Motion for Rehearing filed by Douglas Bruce granted only to the extent that the Board made changes to the titles; denied in all other respects.
Motion for Rehearing filed by Tyler Sandberg denied in its entirety.
Motion for Rehearing filed by Jon Caldara denied in its entirety.
Hearing adjourned 11:14 AM.

* Unofficially captioned “Funding for Public Schools" by legislative staff for tracking purposes. This caption is not part of the titles set by the Board.