The Colorado Independent » Referendum N

Ballot issues endorsement watch

Wendy Norris and Bob Spencer — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:54:47 +0000

Colorado’s gargantuan ballot includes more than 14 constitutional amendments and referenda — even after four measures were withdrawn on Oct. 2 by proponents after a surprise alliance of labor and business interests joined forces to oppose three anti-union amendments. The Colorado Independent is putting the press to the test — we’re compiling newspaper endorsements, analyzing them and then tracking the persuasive talents of editorial boards statewide.

Amendment 46 — Rescinds Affirmative Action
NO: Arvada Press, Aspen Times, Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs Independent, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Golden Transcript, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Wheat Ridge Transcript,Yellow Scene

YES: Grand Junction Sentinel, Rocky Mountain News

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Amendment 47 — “Right to Work”
NO: Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Independent, Cortez Journal, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Grand Junction Sentinel, Greeley Tribune, Steamboat Pilot & Today, Yellow Scene

YES: Arvada Press, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Daily Camera, Golden Transcript, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Salida Mountain Mail, Wheat Ridge Transcript

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Amendment 48 — Personhood for fertilized eggs
NO: Arvada Press, Apsen Times, Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs Independent, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Golden Transcript, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lafayette News, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Steamboat Pilot, Superior Observer, Wheat Ridge Transcript, Yellow Scene

YES: Colorado Springs Gazette

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Amendment 49 — Political donations by union members
NO: Aspen Times, Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Weekly, Cortez Journal, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Durango Herald, Steamboat Pilot & Today, Yellow Scene

YES: Arvada Press, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs Gazette, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Golden Transcript, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Salida Mountain Mail, Superior Observer, Wheat Ridge Transcript

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Amendment 50 — Increases gambling wagers
NO: Cortez Journal, Denver Post, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Steamboat Pilot

YES: Arvada Press, Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Weekly, Centennial Citizen, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Daily Camera, Durango Herald, Golden Transcript, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Tri-Lakes Tribune, Wheat Ridge Transcript, Yellow Scene

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Amendment 51 — Funds services for the developmentally disabled
NO: Arvada Press, Cortez Journal, Denver Post, Golden Transcript, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Wheat Ridge Transcript

YES: Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs Independent, Daily Camera, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Rocky Mountain News, Yellow Scene

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Amendment 52 — Diverts severance taxes to transportation projects
NO: Arvada Press, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Independent, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Golden Transcript, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Steamboat Pilot, Wheat Ridge Transcript, Yellow Scene

YES: Colorado Springs Business Journal, Grand Junction Sentinel

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Amendment 53 — withdrawn by sponsors

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Amendment 54 — Prevents campaign contributions from government vendors
NO: Arvada Press, Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Independent, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Golden Transcript, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Pueblo Chieftain, Rocky Mountain News, Salida Mountain Mail, Steamboat Pilot & Today, Wheat Ridge Transcript, Yellow Scene

YES: No endorsements to date.

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Amendment 55 — withdrawn by sponsors

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Amendment 56 — withdrawn by sponsors

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Amendment 57 — withdrawn by sponsors

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Amendment 58 — Repeals property tax credit for oil and gas sector
NO: Arvada Press, Denver Post, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Golden Transcript, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lakewood Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Steamboat Pilot, Wheat Ridge Transcript

YES: Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs Independent, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Durango Herald, Yellow Scene

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Amendment 59 — Creates rainy day fund for education
NO: Arvada Press, Golden Transcript, Lakewood Sentinel

YES: Aspen Times, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Colorado Springs Independent, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Grand Junction Sentinel, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Steamboat Pilot, Wheat Ridge Transcript, Yellow Scene

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Referendum L — Lowers age limit for state legislators
NO: Daily Camera

YES: Aspen Times, Cortez Journal, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lafayette News, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Superior Observer, Yellow Scene

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Referendum M — Removes obsolete constitutional language on taxation
NO: No endorsement to date.

YES: Aspen Times, Boulder Weekly, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Lafayette News, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Superior Observer, Yellow Scene

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Referendum N — Removes obsolete constitutional language on liquor imports
NO: No endorsement to date.

YES: Aspen Times, Boulder Weekly, Cortez Journal, Daily Camera, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Lafayette News, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Superior Observer, Yellow Scene

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Referendum O — Changes the petition signature limits for constitutional and statutory ballot measures
NO: Daily Camera

YES: Aspen Times, Boulder Weekly, Colorado Springs Business Journal, Cortez Journal, Denver Post, Durango Herald, Fort Collins Coloradoan, Grand Junction Sentinel, Lafayette News, Longmont Times Call, Loveland Reporter Herald, Rocky Mountain News, Superior Observer, Yellow Scene

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School districts
Denver Public Schools
No endorsement to date

Aurora Public Schools 3A and 3B
YES: Aurora Sentinel

Cherry Creek Schools 3A and 3B
YES: Aurora Sentinel

Jefferson County Schools 3A and 3B
YES: Wheat Ridge Transcript

Mesa Public Schools 3A and 3B
YES: Grand Junction Sentinel

St. Vrain Valley Schools 3A and 3B
YES: Daily Camera, Longmont Times Call

Colorado ballot chock-full this year

Naomi Zeveloff — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:56:49 +0000

(Photo/aperryz302, Flickr)

With the longest ballot in the country this year, Colorado voters will face a dizzying list of 18 questions come November. But impassioned, signature-gathering citizens aren’t the only ones to blame for packing the mondo ballot. Four of the questions were placed on the ballot by the state legislature. Called referenda, this year’s items deal with state government rules and procedures. And, in a grand twist, one of them makes it harder for citizens to amend the state’s constitution via the initiative process.

Here is the deal with the four referenda (in order of appearance on the ballot):

For more information on the 2008 Colorado ballot, read Colorado’s monster ballot longest in the nation.

For the entire list of measures with links to the Colorado Legislative Council’s “Blue Book” analysis, see: Colorado voters face longest ballot in 96 years.

Colorado voters face longest ballot in 96 years

Ernest Luning — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:45:06 +0000

Colorado voters haven’t faced a ballot this long since 1912, the first year citizens were able to initiate laws in the state. After striking a pro-affirmative action measure for insufficient signatures Wednesday night, the Secretary of State’s office drew a line under a total 18 statewide questions for the November ballot — 14 initiated by citizens and four referred by the State Legislature.

It’s also the longest ballot in the country, according to a tally by the Denver-based National Conference of State Legislatures. Perennial leaders California and Oregon take second place this year with 12 ballot questions each.

Colorado voters considered a record 32 questions in 1912, but are unlikely to reach that number as it’s become more difficult to get measures on the ballot over the years. Referendum O, referred by the legislature this year, would add further requirements for constitutional amendments and ease access for statutory initiatives. All 14 of the initiated measures this year are constitutional amendments, which cannot be altered by the legislature once enacted.

Many of the Colorado questions this year concern labor, workplace and corporate issues, with business and labor interests offering dueling amendments.

Here’s a list of the questions qualified for the state ballot, with links to the most recent draft [PDF] of the Legislative Council’s “Blue Book” analysis on each:

Amendment 46 — Discrimination and Preferential Treatment by Governments

Amendment 47 — Prohibition on Mandatory Labor Union Membership and Dues

Amendment 48 — Definition of Person

Amendment 49 — Allowable Government Paycheck Deductions

Amendment 50 — Limited Gaming in Central City, Black Hawk, and Cripple Creek

Amendment 51 — State Sales Tax Increase for Services for People with Developmental Disabilities

Amendment 52 — Use of Severance Tax Revenue for Highways

Amendment 53 — Criminal Accountability of Business Executives — WITHDRAWN BY PROPONENTS

Amendment 54 — Campaign Contributions from Certain Government Contractors

Amendment 55 — Allowable Reasons for Employee Discharge or Suspension — WITHDRAWN BY PROPONENTS

Amendment 56 — Employer Responsibility for Health Insurance — WITHDRAWN BY PROPONENTS

Amendment 57 — Additional Remedies for Injured Employees — WITHDRAWN BY PROPONENTS