By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado
In an effort to avoid having to go to voters for tax increases, Colorado state lawmakers have increasingly turned to fees.
But they may have gone too far this year.
In addition to bills imposing fees on phones, alcohol and tires, state Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill increasing the fee on car and truck rentals to just over $5 a day. If passed, the money would be used to fund mass transit projects.
The American Car Rental Association, which represents companies like Enterprise and U-Haul, is now threatening to sue the state and is putting money behind two ballot measures that could drastically limit all fees.
Greg Scott with the association warned lawmakers the fee would be a violation of federal law, which prohibits fees on airport businesses if those fees don’t benefit the airport.
He says dozens of other states have dropped similar bills after learning about the law: “Colorado is the first state that has ignored it.”