Voting on ballot measures can be overwhelming. The language can be confusing, and the effect of the measure may be hard to comprehend.
There are 14 state and three municipal ballot measures on the ballot for the 2024 General Election. Here is a breakdown of what each one means.
State ballot measures to be on students’ radars
- Amendment 79: Makes abortion a constitutional right in Colorado instead of a statutory right and would repeal the current ban on state and local funding for abortion services. Eleven states have abortion measures on the ballot for this election.
- Amendment J: Repeals the language in the Colorado constitution that defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. While same-sex marriage is currently legal because the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that federal and state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional, if the Supreme Court were to overturn its previous rulings, the legality of same-sex marriage would revert to each state.
- Proposition 130: Would require the Colorado State Legislature to allocate $350 million dollars to the Peace Officer Training and Support fund, which would be used to increase salaries for police officers and other law enforcement officials, hire additional police or law enforcement officials and fund initial and continuing education for law enforcement officials. The initiative would also create a death benefit of $1 million for the spouse, children or estate of a law enforcement office killed in the line of duty.
- Proposition KK: Institutes a 6.5% tax on firearms and ammunition bought by firearm dealers, firearm manufacturers and ammunition sellers to fund crime victim services, mental health services and public school safety programs.
Colorado Springs municipality ballot measures:
- City of Colorado Springs Ballot Question 2D: Bans recreational marijuana sales within city limits. Recreational marijuana sales are currently not permitted in the city via the city council. If 2D were to pass, it would change the city’s governing document, making it difficult to legalize recreational marijuana sales in the future.
- City of Colorado Springs Ballot Question 300: Places restrictions on the number of retail/recreational marijuana businesses as well as require a vote for any amendments related to recreational marijuana in the future. Since the language of this question conflicts with question 2D, if both were to pass city attorneys said 2D would take precedence.
Other state ballot measures
- Amendment G: Allows veterans who have been categorized as unable to work to be added to the homestead exemption. The homestead exemption exempts 50% of the first $200,000 of a qualifying homeowner’s home value from property taxes.
- Amendment H: Creates the Independent Judicial Discipline Adjudicative Board, a 12-person board consisting of four district court judges, four attorneys and four citizens who would be responsible for conducting disciplinary hearings and hearing appeals related to disciplinary actions of Colorado judges. According to the amendment, judicial discipline cases would become public once formal proceedings begin as opposed to becoming public near the end of the process, which is the current procedure.
- Amendment I: Allows a judge to deny bail to a person charged with first degree murder if the judge determines that the proof is evident or the presumption is great that the person committed the crime. This measure would restore a longstanding statewide legal precedent that was eliminated by the repeal of the death penalty in 2020.
- Amendment K: Makes deadlines one week earlier for citizens to submit signatures for initiative and referendum petitions and for judges to file declarations of intent to seek another term. It would also require that ballot measures be published by state legislators in local newspapers 45 days before the election instead of the current 15.
- Amendment 80: Makes the right to school choice including public, private, homeschool and any future innovations in education a constitutional right. This measure may conflict with the current law prohibiting public funding for private education and will require interpretation by the courts if passed.
- Proposition JJ: Allows the state to keep any tax revenue generated from sports betting above $29 million to put toward water projects such as water storage and conservation. In 2019, Proposition DD passed, legalizing sports betting and authorizing the state to collect $29 million a year in tax revenue generated from sport betting. As of now, any money generated above the $29 million dollar cap is refunded to casinos and sports betting operators.
- Proposition 127: Defines intentionally killing, wounding, pursuing or entrapping a mountain lion, bobcat or lynx as trophy hunting and prohibit the hunting and killing of these animals unless necessary to defend human life, livestock, property or motor vehicles.
- Proposition 128: Would require a person convicted of second-degree murder, sexual assault, aggravated robbery, first-degree assault, kidnapping, arson or burglary on or after Jan. 1, 2025, to complete 85% of their sentence before being eligible for discretionary parole or earned time reductions. This would be an increase from the current requirement of 75% of their sentence.
- Proposition 129: Would establish the new regulated profession of veterinary professional associate who must possess a master’s degree in veterinary clinical care or an equivalent degree. This new position would be allowed to perform tasks that are within their advanced education and training while under the supervision of a veterinarian.
- Proposition 131: Would establish an all-candidate primary for all voters regardless of registered party. The top four candidates would then advance to a general election where voters rank the candidates in order of preference. If one candidate gets more than half of the first-place votes, they would win the election. If no candidate wins more than half of the first-place votes, the candidate with the fewest first-place votes is eliminated and an additional round of counting is conducted. This measure would not apply to the office of U.S. President, district attorneys, or local government offices.
Other Colorado Springs municipality ballot measure
- City of Colorado Springs Ballot Issue 2C: Would extend the current 0.57% city sales and use tax for an additional 10 years to be used for road repairs and improvements. 2C initially passed in 2015 and was extended for five years in 2019.
Photo courtesy of One Colorado.