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By Al Ortiz
DENVER, Colorado: In 1992, voters in the state of Colorado voted on Issue 1 on the November 3 ballot. When the dust cleared, Issue 1 was approved with 53.7% in favor of enacting the proposal. Twenty years later, Issue 1 is still making waves.
The amendment, also known as the Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights, requires statewide voter approval of tax increases that exceed an index created by combining inflation and population increases. Now, a lawsuit is aiming to overturn the measure. The federal lawsuit, which includes 33 plaintiffs made up of current and former state lawmakers, among others, according to reports, will have its first hearing on February 15.
According to the actual lawsuit: "“A legislature unable to raise and appropriate funds cannot meet its primary constitutional obligations. Since the passage of Tabor in 1992, the State of Colorado has experienced a slow, inexorable slide into fiscal dysfunction.”[1]
More updates will be given on the lawsuit as developments progress in the coming months. Read more about the 1992 TABOR measure here.
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