Pitkin County

Colorado SHOULD extend its Homestead exemption to veterans, injured in the line of duty, who have been federally qualified as TDIU (or classified as having a service-related disability that has rendered them unemployable).

A constitutional measure referred to the ballot by the state legislature, Amendment G would add this exemption to Colorado veterans, who cannot hold steady employment as a result of their service.

Currently in Colorado, seniors (65+), Gold Star spouses, and veterans with a 100% service-related disability, can exempt 50% of the first $200,000 of their home’s value from taxation.

An estimated 3,700 veterans in Colorado who are not otherwise able to claim the homestead exemption would be eligible for the exemption under this amendment in property tax year 2025.

The state reimburses the local governments for all revenue lost as a result of the exemption.

The measure requires a 55% YES vote to pass.

We recommend a YES vote on Amendment G.
 

Referred by the state legislature, Amendment H creates an Independent Judicial Discipline Adjudicative Board, separate from the Colorado Supreme Court. This independent commission would preside over judicial discipline hearings and impose sanctions. The amendment would make judicial discipline public once formal proceedings begin.

The constitutional measure requires a 55% ‘yes’ vote to pass.

Amendment I was referred to the ballot by the Colorado State Legislature and requires a 55% yes vote to pass.

Amendment I would make first degree murder an “unbailable” offense if the proof “is evident or the presumption is great.” 

In short, Amendment I adds first degree murder to the list of offenses for which a person can be held without bail in Colorado.

We recommend a YES vote on Amendment I.

As progressives, we proudly continue to stand with and support marriage equality for all.

Marriage is a basic right, and Colorado’s Constitution SHOULD reflect this right for all state residents. Amendment J repeals the ban on same-sex marriage in Colorado by striking language in Colorado’s Constitution stating that only the union of one man and one woman is a valid or recognized marriage in Colorado.

Repealing the ban is necessary, as the U.S. Supreme Court has hinted at overturning marriage equality in a prior opinion, and the legality of same-sex marriage would then revert to each state.

Amendment J was referred to the ballot by the Colorado State Legislature and requires a 55% YES vote to pass. 

We must protect the legality of same-sex marriage in Colorado. We strongly recommend a YES vote on Amendment J.
 

Amendment K would require citizen initiatives to file their signatures one week earlier. Additionally, judges and justices seeking retention would be required to also file their “Declaration of Intent” one week earlier. Lastly, official text and ballot measure titles would have to be published one month sooner.

Should the measure pass, the Colorado Secretary of State and county clerks would have more time to finalize ballots ahead of printing.

Referred by the legislature, Amendment K requires 55% to pass. 

We recommend a YES vote on Amendment K.
 

Abortion is health care, and Amendment 79 protects the right to abortion care in Colorado’s constitution.

Amendment 79 ensures that state and local governments cannot block or limit access to abortion care. It removes existing insurance discrimination policies that prevent public employees and Coloradans enrolled in state and local government insurance programs, from having abortion care covered by their health insurance.

Currently, our state’s constitution does not keep the government out of personal, private health decisions, meaning the government can take away our right to abortion with the stroke of a pen.

A YES vote would change the Colorado constitution, recognizing the right to abortion and protecting it from future government interference of this right.

Regardless of the source of one's health insurance, the right to abortion should be protected for all Coloradans. Coloradans should have the freedom to decide for themselves whether to have an abortion, and that right shouldn’t depend on the source of their health insurance or who is in office.

We must end attempts by anti-abortion extremists to ban abortion in the state and even charge women who’ve had abortions with homicide. We can’t let that happen.

Vote YES on Amendment 79 to ensure that abortion remains safe, legal, and accessible for future generations in Colorado.

Amendment 80 is a misleading constitutional measure that would require 55% of the vote to pass. Designed to weaken and divert funds from public education, this amendment seeks to pave the way for taxpayer funded, private school voucher programs.

Programs such as this seek to divert critical resources from already underfunded public schools and funnel them to private schools that discriminate against students and families and do not have to meet state education standards or serve all students.

While pretending to be about school choice, which already exists in Colorado (since 1994), Amendment 80's private education proponents seek to justify book banning and abandon curriculums that include sex education, race, and ethnicity. This amendment also would allow parents to sue schools for following non-discrimination laws and interfere with school activities.

Amendment 80 is dangerous - opening the door for extremists to try to dictate school curriculum for 95% of Colorado’s kids.

We recommend that you vote NO on Amendment 80 and protect Colorado's public schools.
 

In 2019, voters approved Proposition DD, which legalized sports betting in Colorado and authorized the state to collect up to $29 million per year in tax revenue from sports betting. Proposition JJ proposes allowing the state to keep any sports betting tax revenue above $29 million per year. This already collected revenue would go towards the Colorado Water Plan instead of being refunded to casinos and sportsbook operators.

As a statutory measure, Proposition JJ just needs above 50% of the vote to pass.

Voting YES on Proposition KK supports our most at-risk Coloradans — veterans, youth, and victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes. Proposition KK creates a new state tax on the sale of firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition. This revenue would provide around $39 million each year to fund mental health support for survivors of trauma as well as youth and school safety programs.

These programs would provide critical resources to build resilience for survivors of trauma, support the prevention of crime and gun violence, and help end the cycle of violence.

We recommend a YES vote on Amendment KK.

Proposition 127 would prohibit killing, wounding, pursuing, entrapping, or discharging a deadly weapon at bobcats, lynx, and mountain lions in Colorado. This measure bans all hunting, pursuing, or entrapping of bobcats, lynx, and mountain lions.

Proposition 128 is a “scare tactic” initiative aimed to increase state spending on prisons, jeopardize prison safety, and disincentivize educational and mental health programs for inmates. 

This measure would require an individual convicted of certain crimes to serve 85% of their sentence before the possibility of parole, up from 75% of their sentence. While the measure claims to be “tough on crime,” it does nothing to actually decrease crime. Rather, Proposition 128, is designed to increase prison populations in Colorado, increase spending, and increase the likelihood of repeat offenses by removing incentives for inmates to participate in education, mental health, and other rehabilitation resources. 

We recommend a NO vote on Proposition 128.
 

Proposition 129 would create a mid-level position called a Veterinary Professional Associate, or VPA. This position, which would require a masters degree, would be allowed to diagnose animals, perform surgeries, and order and perform tests under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian.

A state would create a credentialing board that would require passage of a national exam and may adopt additional credential and testing requirements.

Proposition 130 would reallocate $350 million of state funds to expand policing in Colorado. Currently, most local police are funded through local and municipal budgets, not from state coffers. The initiative falsely claims to fund first responders, but restricts the funds to local law enforcement only – fire fighters, EMTs, or mental health professionals would not receive a dime.

This measure diverts even more funding to local law enforcement at the expense of other essential services that are proven to increase and support public safety, such as education resources, mental health services, co-responder programs, and community development. The proposed government funding mandated by this measure does not include any oversight and cannot be used for diversion programs.

We recommend a NO vote on Proposition 130.
 

The supporters of Proposition 131 (former DaVita CEO Kent Thiry and other multi-millionaires) want to make it easier for wealthy candidates like themselves to win in Colorado.

Proposition 131 proposes an “all-candidate” primary for U.S. Senate and House, statewide positions like governor, and the state legislature. It would ask primary voters to choose from all candidates for each of these races, regardless of political affiliation. The top four vote recipients would advance to the general election.

The new voting model would make elections in Colorado more expensive to administer, do away with Colorado’s post-election audit, and is designed to confuse voters and decrease participation.

Proposition 131 would not apply to the Presidential primary.

We recommend a NO vote on Proposition 131.