By Natalie Menten | Colorado Politics
Petition rights in Colorado have been under increasing attack, and that trend continues with House Bill 25-1327 (HB 25-1327), recently introduced in the Colorado State legislature.
Among other things, HB 25-1327 would reduce the time available for citizen-led initiative efforts by moving the deadline for Title Board hearings up by two weeks. Under current law, Title Board hearings may be held through the third Wednesday in April. This bill shifts that deadline to the first Wednesday in April— a 14-day reduction in time that proponents would otherwise use to finalize their language before gathering nearly 200,000 signatures within a tight window to secure a spot on the ballot.
It’s worth noting Colorado voters recently rejected a similar proposal. In the November 2024 election, Amendment K — referred to the ballot by the legislature — was defeated by a 55% to 45% margin. That measure would have shortened the petition window by just one week. Now, lawmakers are ignoring that clear voter message and pushing a statutory change that reduces the window by twice as much.
In addition to shortening the petition window, HB 25-1327 imposes new reporting mandates on petition representatives. Proponents must notify the Secretary of State when they reach 25%, 50% and 75% of the required signature threshold — and again when petition circulation ends. Failure to report may result in fines of up to $1,500, further discouraging citizen participation.