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

Examples of developmental disabilities are mental retardation, autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. This tax of 1 penny on a $10 purchase beginning in July 2009 and a similar increase in July 2010 would be spent on services for people with developmental disabilities. The new revenue would be exempt from TABOR spending limits and could not replace the current level of funding for developmental disabilities unless there was a declaration of a state fiscal emergency.

STATUTORY Change

Recommendation: lean no
I want this amendment to lose by 15 votes. I want to send a signal to the general assembly that we need to continue increasing funding for people with developmental disabilities (as we were able to do with Referendum C passed in 2005) but I don’t want an earmark that will tie the hands of our legislators.


Website for Yes side (End Colorado Waitlist)
http://endcoloradowaitlist.org/

Website for No side (No State Tax Hike)
http://www.nostatetaxhike.com/

Amendment 51 (Approved ballot title below)

State Sales Tax Increase for Services for People with Developmental Disabilities

SHALL STATE TAXES BE INCREASED $186.1 MILLION ANNUALLY AFTER FULL IMPLEMENTATION BY AN AMENDMENT TO THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES CONCERNING AN INCREASE IN THE STATE SALES AND USE TAX TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR LONG-TERM SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, INCREASING THE RATE OF THE STATE SALES AND USE TAX BEGINNING ON JULY 1, 2009, BY ONE-TENTH OF ONE PERCENT IN EACH OF THE NEXT TWO FISCAL YEARS; PERMITTING THE STATE TO RETAIN AND SPEND ALL REVENUES FROM THE NEW TAX, NOTWITHSTANDING THE STATE SPENDING LIMIT; REQUIRING AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE NET REVENUE FROM THE NEW TAX TO BE DEPOSITED IN THE NEWLY CREATED DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES LONG-TERM SERVICES CASH FUND; REQUIRING THE MONEY IN THE FUND TO BE USED TO PROVIDE LONG-TERM SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; AND PROHIBITING REDUCTIONS IN THE LEVEL OF STATE APPROPRIATIONS IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL APPROPRIATION BILL EXISTING ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS MEASURE FOR LONG-TERM SERVICES FOR PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES?

Yes ________________ No ________________


To see the full text of the proposed measure, click here, then click on “2008 State Ballot Information Booklet” at the top of the page.