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Tag: Taxpayer Impact

Colorado Democrats Push Controversial “No Kings Act” Sparking Legal And Political Debate
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CBS News, Approved, State

Colorado Democrats Push Controversial “No Kings Act” Sparking Legal And Political Debate

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado With three weeks left in the legislative session, Democrats in the Colorado Legislature have introduced a bill titled the "No Kings Act." It has sparked a firestorm of controversy. While the "No Kings" rallies happening across the country are about one specific government official -- President Trump -- the "No Kings Act" at the Colorado State Capitol encompasses every government official. Under the bill, anyone who believes their constitutional rights have been violated could file a civil suit against any public official in state court. "All over the state and the country we are seeing gross abuses of people's constitutional rights and we don't have sufficient remedies in any law -- state law or fed...
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The Plain Truth Behind Voter ID, the SAVE America Act and Election Integrity
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, National, Top Stories

The Plain Truth Behind Voter ID, the SAVE America Act and Election Integrity

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “People who love sausage and respect the law should never watch either being made.” (Mark Twain) Congress has been dithering on a number of issues that impact legal, law-abiding US citizens and taxpayers. House and Senate reps from both parties are dragging their feet for various reasons. One issue under consideration is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE America Act. If passed, this bill would require two major things: 1) that individuals must provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections, and 2) states must remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters. FACT: Members of Congress routinely provide a valid form of ID before they can vote....
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HB26-1240: Colorado Democrats Expand Tax Giveaways—and Eat Your TABOR Refund
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

HB26-1240: Colorado Democrats Expand Tax Giveaways—and Eat Your TABOR Refund

Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project HB26-1240 (linked first below) is a great example of tax policy which mimics a dynamic I have seen with other policy such as gun control. Rather than taking all in one big shot, something that would get all kinds of undue attention, you take in a piecewise manner. E.g. in year 1 you get red flag laws passed, but they’re limited so as to not cause too much heartburn. When that settles down, you can then spend subsequent years making additions to that first law. In the case of HB26-1240, you start by offering expanded tax credits to people and then you expand the credits further. In order to fully appreciate what I mean, we have to do some background first. Colorado’s Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is another ...
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Colorado must stop pushing unfunded laws on local governments, lawmakers say
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The Daily Sentinel, Approved, Commentary, State

Colorado must stop pushing unfunded laws on local governments, lawmakers say

By Rick Taggart, Janice Rich and Matt Soper | Commentary, The Daily Sentinel When lawmakers pass a new bill, there’s one question we should all ask before we vote: Who’s going to pay for it? Too often, that question goes unanswered. Across Colorado, local governments are being asked to carry out new state laws — on everything from wildfire codes to building standards — without the funding to make them possible. These are called unfunded mandates, and they’ve quietly become one of the biggest threats to local budgets and the essential services people depend on. In Mesa County alone, these mandates now cost nearly $10 million each year. Statewide, the total is estimated at more than $360 million — money that could otherwise fund deputies, road repairs, or mental health programs. Ins...
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Westminster launches $260M water plant with groundbreaking ceremony on September 24
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kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Westminster launches $260M water plant with groundbreaking ceremony on September 24

By: Abraham Jewett | KDVR DENVER (KDVR) — The city of Westminster is preparing to break ground on a new $206 million drinking water facility. The facility will be able to treat 14.7 million gallons of water per day, according to the city, which said Tuesday that it has been designed to “provide clean, safe, and affordable drinking water for generations to come.” A ceremonial groundbreaking will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on site at 9988 Westminster Blvd. The event is on the east side of Westminster Boulevard between 98th and 104th avenues. The city said parking will be available and that the free event, in addition to the ceremonial groundbreaking, will include food trucks, educational activities, and a “close-up look at construction equipment.” T...
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Colorado Springs to shut community center as $31 million gap widens
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The Gazette, Approved, Local

Colorado Springs to shut community center as $31 million gap widens

By Brennen Kauffman | The Gazette Colorado Springs will be closing Meadows Park Community Center in the next month and cutting 38 employees immediately in order to reduce the city's budget heading into 2026. Mayor Yemi Mobolade announced the series of cuts Friday afternoon to address what is projected to be a $31 million shortfall in the city's upcoming budget. "These measures will ensure we are delivering for residents while also committing ourselves to fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget. This city has been doing government efficiency for years, it's not new to us," Mobolade said. Meadows Park Community Center is one of four community centers run by the Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services Department. Parks Director Britt Haley said in a statement the center was ...
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Denver’s first citywide furlough day: Here’s what’s open and closed
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kdvr.com, Approved, Local

Denver’s first citywide furlough day: Here’s what’s open and closed

By Heather Willard | Fox31 DENVER (KDVR) — The city of Denver’s budget hole will impact residents on Friday during the first of two citywide furlough days. The city will close its libraries, recreation centers, courts and the majority of its offices on both Friday and Monday. Monday’s closures are due to the Labor Day holiday, while Friday’s are due to the citywide furlough day spurred by the city’s budget, which faced a $200 million gap. The furlough days come after the city and county laid off 169 employees and cut another 665 unfilled positions, while also implementing tiered furlough day schedules based on pay grade. A second citywide furlough day is scheduled for Nov. 28 — Black Friday. These Denver offices will be open Aug. 29, Sept. 1 The Denver Animal ...
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What shrinking state and local payrolls could mean for your wallet
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Fox31, Approved, Local

What shrinking state and local payrolls could mean for your wallet

By: Raquel Villanueva | FOX31 Denver DENVER (KDVR) —The city of Denver completed its layoff process for 171 workers on Tuesday, after the city already cut 665 unfilled positions on Monday. The city says the efforts will save $100 million. But what do the layoffs mean for Denver’s economic future? A local economist gave FOX31 some insight. The city’s personnel cuts could certainly help its economic outlook, but an expert says this could just be the beginning of tough times. “If this trend continues, then it is not a very good situation. I think we will have a pretty severe impact of recession maybe by the end of this year or maybe even next year,” said Kishore Kulkarni, a distinguished professor of economics at MSU Denver. With Denver’s budget $200 million short for next...
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Progressive Spending Comes Due as Colorado Faces Billion Dollar Shortfall
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State, Approved, DENVER7

Progressive Spending Comes Due as Colorado Faces Billion Dollar Shortfall

By Brandon Richard | Denver7 News State lawmakers will likely return to the Colorado Capitol for a special session to address the budget shortfall. DENVER — For the second time this year, Colorado is facing a massive budget shortfall, and the legislature’s top Democratic leaders blame President Donald Trump’s "big, beautiful bill." State budget officials released new projections on Wednesday, showing the current budget is suddenly $1.2 billion in the red. “Right now, we don’t have the cash to pay our bills,” Colorado budget director Mark Ferrandino told lawmakers. "We are talking about a budget and a revenue shortfall equivalent or greater than what we saw during the Great Recession." Some lawmakers were left shell-shocked and worried for Coloradans struggling to make it. ...
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Gaines: Subsidies save some—but in reality, they’re just wealth transfers
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Colorado Accountability Project, Approved, Commentary, State

Gaines: Subsidies save some—but in reality, they’re just wealth transfers

By Cory Gaines | Commentary, Colorado Accountability Project Let me start with a couple non-contiguous quotes from the article linked at bottom. “'By better using the heat beneath our feet to help us, we are leading the nation in innovative clean energy technologies that save Coloradans money, and protect our air quality. Investing in Geothermal heating technology increases energy reliability and serves as a low-cost energy source,' Polis said." “'Geothermal heating technology plays a huge role in helping Colorado reduce emissions from homes and buildings while saving Coloradans money on heating and cooling costs,' said CEO Executive Director Will Toor. 'It’s exciting to see so many innovative geothermal initiatives being made possible due to Colorado’s investment in this technolo...
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