POLS 304@CSU Fall 2019

    One of the most distinctive features of the legislative process in Colorado is the prevalence of the ballot initiative. In the election this November, voters had the opportunity to approve their own laws. One of these laws included a proposition that would legalize sports betting.     This is not the first time that voters have had the ability to make hugely influential decisions. Voters have voted to legalize marijuana. In Colorado, they even approve tax increases because of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, or TABOR. This means that, unlike in other states, Colorado voters have legislative power of their own.      One of these most recent initiatives involved sports betting. Colorado would legalize sports betting, but sports betting would be taxed. This revenue would be used to fund plans to address Colorado's water problem. However, according to the Colorado Sun, the money from sports betting will not generate any money to address these water iss...

Climate Change Regulations on the Economy We are starting to see the effects of climate change all around the globe, but Colorado legislature is starting to take focus of it. Some of the various negative effects that will occur because of the changing climate in Colorado include the decline in water availability for agricultural purposes and a higher risk of wildfires. However, there are legislatures in Colorado that avoid drafting laws that deal with climate change because this state relies heavily on the oil and gas industry for tax revenue.  Scientists and engineers have come up with solutions to reduce our carbon footprint in ways such as electric vehicles or wind and solar energy efficient inventions. The problem is these are expensive. I would love to be driving a Tesla instead of my 2005 Honda Pilot, but I don’t have the money for that, same with most Americans. The same goes for healthier food options, they are more costly. Farmers m...

       One of the more contentious topics within Colorado politics is budgeting and funding for projects, education, and revenue intake. This came to a head in this year's election with Proposition CC. Despite failing at the ballot box, the Democratic Party is pushing ahead with the 2020 legislative agenda that includes drafts to eliminate the Tax Payer's Bill of Rights or amend it to ensure more accessible revenue for the party's policy objectives. What is critical to the debate is the increasing partisan divide within Colorado, the historical shift from Republican control to Democrat trifectas in state government, and the institutional mechanisms that have hampered strategy for the dominant party. Also, in the mix are interest groups that influence local politics which can help uncover party strategy from another perspective.        The Colorado Fiscal Institute (CFI) a left-leaning think tank, is a key player in this battle, authoring s everal...

The Columbine High School shooting that took place in 1999 claimed the lives of 15 people and wounded 28. Since then the topic of gun control has sparked debates supporting both sides of the argument and from state to state the laws of carrying differs. As of now, a very brief summary of Colorado state law concerning personal arm restrictions are: "Colorado law also allows a person to possess a handgun in a dwelling, place of business, or automobile. However, when you carry the weapon into your home, business, hotel room, etc. it must be in plain view" (colorado.gov). And according to the National Rifle Association for Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), in Colorado, there is no Permit to Purchase required for a rifle, shotgun or handgun. There is no required Registration of Firearms for rifles, shotguns or handguns. There is no Licensing of Owner for rifles, shotguns or handguns, and there is no permit to carry rifles or shotguns, however, a permit to carry is requi...

In the United States, the topic of medication prices has increased substantially, specifically insulin. Insulin is a medication used to treat type one Diabetes which typically costs a thousand dollars or more depending on how much you need, and how much your insurance is willing to pay. Colorado changed this with a bill designed to put a cap on the copay for insulin. The bill HB19-1216 was signed into law by Governor Jared Polis in May of 2019. This bill states that “a carrier that provides coverage for prescription insulin drugs pursuant to the terms of a health coverage plan the carrier offers shall cap the total amount that a covered person is required to pay for a covered prescription insulin drug at an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars per thirty-day supply of insulin, regardless of the amount of type of insulin needed to fill the covered person’s prescription.” This bill will go into effect on January 1st, 2020 and will be overseen by the department of law who will investi...

TABOR is the acronym for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights which limits the amount of revenue the State of Colorado can retain and spend. Government revenues can only be increased if the population also grows or if the consumer price index increases. TABOR also requires that changes to tax policies such as spending limits and tax raises must have voter approval before they can be put into action. In “Fiscal Management Implications of the TABOR Bind” it is explained that the government is also limited in its ability to increase revenue, with only a 6% increase from the previous year allowed. This limits the funds that governments can store as emergency funds and causes issues with federal subsidies like those provided for the reinsurance program that Colorado is using to help provide health insurance for residents facing high healthcare costs. There have been several bills that have been proposed and passed in Colorado this year in an effort to help people handle the high costs of health ca...

Colorado is very unique in the sense that it implements some forms of direct democracy. Unlike most states in the United States, citizens of Colorado have the power to directly vote on certain legislation. Without the vote of the citizens, the bill will not become law. Even if both the house and the senate approve of the bill, if the citizens do not agree, the bill will not become law. The main example of this in Colorado is regarding tax increases. In 1992, Colorado passed the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. This is also referred to as TABOR. As the name suggests, this law was intended to put some power back into the taxpayers of Colorado. One of the main aspects of this law entailed that a popular vote of the citizens was needed in order to adjust tax rates or tax revenues upward (Straayer). In addition, as I previously alluded to, TABOR also enabled direct democracy in Colorado. According to Staayer in “One Thing After Another: Layers of Policy and Colorado’s Fiscal Train Wreck”, “[w]ith...

              This past year the Colorado General Assembly made a big move to help decrease Coloradoans waste. The 2019 Regular Session passed a bill called the Front Range Waste Diversion Enterprise Grant Program or SB19-192. This bill was signed by Governor Polis in May of 2019. The bill created a new waste diversion grant program that will affect the Front Range communities. These communities include the counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas, Elbert, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer, Pueblo, Teller, and Weld and the cities and counties of Broomfield and Denver. Essentially this new law will create a fee for landfill usage. The fee will take effect in January of 2020 and there will be a board of 13-members that will oversee the grant program. The law creates the “front range waste diversion enterprise” and the enterprise gets to place a fee and collect a user fee on every load of landfill waste in the communiti...

Climate change is the crisis of our generation, and it has effects on nearly every aspect of life around the world. One of the most pressing short-term effects in Colorado is the strain placed on dams from the change in storm intensity over time. With almost 2000 state-regulated dams in Colorado, and around a quarter in areas that would cause loss of life if they failed, the Colorado state government is holding inspections on every dam over the next year. With these inspections, the state government will be able to decide how to minimize the risk of dam failure for the future. Further bills appropriating the funds to maintain and reinforce these dams are almost certain to pass, but they are not without opposition from state legislators who deny the existence of climate change. Fortunately, a dam failure hasn't happened in several decades, but that will not last forever in an era of increasingly erratic storm patterns. According to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, th...

Due to the prevalence of mass shootings in the United States, many states have adapted gun legislation to target the issue. Colorado is no exception. The House Bill 1177 or more commonly known as “the red flag bill” was passed this previous legislative session (Aguilar). The bill allows the court to seize firearms from individuals who are deemed a threat to themselves or to others (Aguilar). This considerable gun legislation is significant for Democrats who have advocated for gun control for years. More importantly, the passing of this bill may once again demonstrate which party has been gaining momentum in Colorado these past few years. Colorado’s legislature has generally sided to the left in recent times (Strayer 141). This is a significant shift from the more Republican leaning legislature that Colorado was previously used to (Strayer 141). Furthermore, Colorado’s House Bill 1177 is in no way addressing the issue in a very unique way. Figure 1 below demonstrates nationwide...