Ballot recommendations

The Boulder Democrats have published a fantastic guide to the many different proposed constitutional amendments and referenda on the ballot this November. Of course, we hope each of you will read through the ballot issues and make your own informed decisions, but with ballots over 10 pages long, we think this guide may be very helpful!

Here's a quick summary:

AMENDMENT 46 Anti-Affirmative Action VOTE NO

• 46 prohibits Colorado governments from discriminating against or giving preferential treatment to any group on the basis of race, sex, color, or ethnicity.

AMENDMENT 47 So-called “Right to Work” VOTE NO

• Prohibits requiring an employee to join and pay dues to a labor union (non-defined)
  

AMENDMENT 48 Fetus as Person VOTE NO

• Defines the term person to include any human being from the moment of fertilization. We are strongly against this Amendment. This could easily lead to making all abortions illegal, as well as prohibiting emergency contraception and restricting stem cell research, among other impacts.

AMENDMENT 49 Public Employee Union Dues VOTE NO

• Prohibits public employee tax deductions except as required by law, tax witholdings, health benefits, retirement, etc.

AMENDMENT 50 Gambling Regulations VOTE NO(Colorado Democratic Party is Neutral)

• Allows residents of Central City, Cripple Creek and Black Hawk to extend gaming hours, increase limits and games and sets aside tax money from gaming for specific uses (Colorado community colleges and the gaming cities and counties)

AMENDMENT 51 Sales Tax Increase for Developmental Disabilities Services VOTE YES

• Increases State taxes by .1% to provide and increase services for those with developmental disabilities. Would enable thousands of people with disabilities who have been approved for services to actually receive those services - there are currently very, very long waitlists, due to insufficient funding.
  

AMENDMENT 52 Severance Tax Revenues for Highways VOTE NO

• Requires state legislature to spend a portion of severance taxes on highway projects. This money currently is available for water supply projects.

AMENDMENT 53 Criminal Liability of Business Executives -REMOVED FROM BALLOT (votes on Amendments 53, 55, 56, and 57 will not be counted)

AMENDMENT 54 Government Contractors’Campaign Contributions VOTE NO

• Restrictions and prohibitions on contractor contributions-inflexible and requires unreasonable monitoring

AMENDMENT 55 Just Cause for Firing -REMOVED FROM BALLOT

AMENDMENT 56 Employee Health Insurance REMOVED FROM BALLOT

AMENDMENT 57 Remedies for Workplace Disabilities REMOVED FROM BALLOT

AMENDMENT 58 Severance Tax Increase for Scholarships VOTE YES

• Increases severance taxes for oil and gas companies and directs monies towards college scholarships, wildlife funding and renewable energy projects

AMENDMENT 59 Ending TABOR Rebates and Funding Education VOTE YES

• Eliminates rebates taxpayers received on surplus and instead directs monies toward public education

REFERENDUM L Reducing Minimum Age for State Legislators VOTE YES

• Reduces minimum age to serve from 25 to 21

REFERENDUM M Striking Obsolete Language Concerning Property Valuation - VOTE YES

REFERENDUM N Striking Obsolete Language Concerning Alcohol - VOTE YES

REFERENDUM O Changing Rules for Citizen Initiated Constitutional and Statutory Changes - VOTE YES

(The Colorado Democratic Party is NEUTRAL on Referenda M, N, and O).