One of the Greatest Threats to TABOR in Decades
DENVER, CO — Americans for Prosperity-Colorado (AFP-CO) Issue Committee today announced its effort to defeat Initiative 195, highlighting that the measure represents one of the most significant threats to Colorado’s economic stability and competitiveness in decades.
Supporters of Initiative 195 are trying to sell this proposal as simply a tax on the rich while ignoring the negative impact it will have on small businesses, farms, and job creators in the state. The measure would permanently weaken Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) taxpayer protections, put future taxpayer refunds at risk, and give the state government billions of dollars in additional spending authority.
For more than 30 years, TABOR has empowered Colorado taxpayers by limiting government growth, requiring voter approval for tax increases, and ensuring excess revenue is returned to the people who earned it. Initiative 195 would begin dismantling those protections while asking voters to trust that government will spend more of their money wisely.
AFP-CO Issue Committee Deputy State Director Brittany Trujillo released the following statement:
“Initiative 195 is not simply another ballot measure. It is one of the most serious threats to Colorado taxpayers and to TABOR that we have seen in a generation.
“Supporters want voters to believe this proposal only impacts someone else. It doesn’t. Initiative 195 is designed to permanently weaken the constitutional protections that have safeguarded Colorado taxpayers for more than three decades. It puts future TABOR refunds at risk, expands government’s ability to spend billions more without meaningful accountability, and ultimately makes it easier for politicians to take more from hardworking Coloradans.
“TABOR has been one of the most successful taxpayer protections in the nation because it trusts citizens, not government. Initiative 195 moves Colorado in exactly the opposite direction.
“Over the coming months, AFP-CO Issue Committee will work alongside thousands of grassroots activists, volunteers, and concerned citizens to ensure voters understand exactly what’s at stake. This November, Colorado has an opportunity to protect the taxpayer rights that have made our state stronger for more than 30 years. We urge every Coloradan to vote NO on Initiative 195.”
Over the coming months, AFP-CO Issue Committee will conduct a statewide voter education campaign through grassroots organizing, community engagement, and direct voter contact to ensure Coloradans understand the long-term consequences of Initiative 195 and the importance of protecting TABOR for future generations.
