Empowering Voters - Defending Democracy
tabor
The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights - TABOR
TABOR was an amendment to the Colorado Constitution approved by voters in 1992. It is among the strictest tax and spending limitations in the country.
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Some of the consequences of TABOR and related amendments and laws are that Colorado pays some of the lowest state taxes in the country and Colorado spends less than most other states on states services. Colorado has a regressive tax system [flat income tax rate]. State revenue does not keep pace with state growth. Health care is gobbling up more and more of the stat's budget. Local taxpayers pay less and less of a share of k-12 education - the state pays more and more. The state is paying a declining share of support for higher education - students and families pay more.
TABOR's Major Provisions:
1. Voter approval of tax increases
2. Revenue limits
3. Spending limits
4. Limits on revenue from taxation
Referendum C (2005)
- Without a tax increase, allowed the state to retain and spend all the revenue it
collected for five years (state revenue formula)
- Allows for recovery from economic downturn by eliminating the "ratchet effect"
- Funded schools, health care and police and firefighters retirement with money
over the TABOR limitation
- In year six and beyond, allows the state to continue to retain revenue above the
original TABOR refund limit - straight line projection instead of ratchet up and down
Colorado Supreme Court Decision 2019
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In June, the Colorado Supreme Court said that voters can be asked to repeal TABOR in one simple ballot question.
The ruling rejects the assumption that an imitative contains multiple subjects just because it repeals a constitutional provision that contains more than one subject.
The opinion provides voters with an additional option to address the challenges presented by TABOR. With this ruling, Coloradans who are think about ways to improve public investment in valuable public services can not add a complete repeal of TABOR to their toolbox.
