Not unexpectedly, the voters of the city and county of Boulder were generous, approving all the tax measures. The only rejected ballot issue was 2P to allow city council executive sessions for negotiation and legal discussions around a future municipal electric utility.
The city’s utility occupation tax helps pay the municipalization expenses. Ballot issue 2L to extend and increase the tax was losing when the initial mail-ballot results were announced. However, a big Election Day get-out-the-vote push credited to New Era Colorado, which supported 2L and targets young voters, seemed to make the difference. In the final count the pro-2L side received 15,852 votes (51.7%) compared to the con-2L side’s 14,807 votes.
New Era is very active in Boulder, particularly on the CU campus. State Senator Steve Fenberg and candidates Joe Neguse (Congress) and Molly Fitzpatrick (County Clerk and Recorder) all got their political chops in New Era and all have been or will be on the ballot in the Boulder area.
In other news today, Judge William Martinez of the US District Court for the District of Colorado voided part of Amendment 71, passed by the voters in 2016. Amendment 71 affects constitutional changes proposed via a citizen initiative. It required collecting signatures from 2% of the registered voters from each of the state’s 35 senate districts and then getting 55% of the statewide vote in the general election. The former requirement was voided, the latter not.
Supporters of Amendment 71 believe that the 10th Circuit Court will overturn the decision. The Denver Post reports that the Colorado Secretary of State wants the judge’s order stayed while an appeal is heard. If the stay is granted, the geographic distribution requirement would remain in effect until the appeal is concluded, probably through this November’s election. Opponents of Amendment 71 argue that only wealthy initiative backers can afford to meet the geographic signature requirements for ballot access.
The city’s utility occupation tax helps pay the municipalization expenses. Ballot issue 2L to extend and increase the tax was losing when the initial mail-ballot results were announced. However, a big Election Day get-out-the-vote push credited to New Era Colorado, which supported 2L and targets young voters, seemed to make the difference. In the final count the pro-2L side received 15,852 votes (51.7%) compared to the con-2L side’s 14,807 votes.
New Era is very active in Boulder, particularly on the CU campus. State Senator Steve Fenberg and candidates Joe Neguse (Congress) and Molly Fitzpatrick (County Clerk and Recorder) all got their political chops in New Era and all have been or will be on the ballot in the Boulder area.
In other news today, Judge William Martinez of the US District Court for the District of Colorado voided part of Amendment 71, passed by the voters in 2016. Amendment 71 affects constitutional changes proposed via a citizen initiative. It required collecting signatures from 2% of the registered voters from each of the state’s 35 senate districts and then getting 55% of the statewide vote in the general election. The former requirement was voided, the latter not.
Supporters of Amendment 71 believe that the 10th Circuit Court will overturn the decision. The Denver Post reports that the Colorado Secretary of State wants the judge’s order stayed while an appeal is heard. If the stay is granted, the geographic distribution requirement would remain in effect until the appeal is concluded, probably through this November’s election. Opponents of Amendment 71 argue that only wealthy initiative backers can afford to meet the geographic signature requirements for ballot access.
