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Vote Colorado Values: Support Privacy, Freedom, and Families

Writer: RMEQ
RMEQ
2 days ago
5 min read

In the November election, Coloradans will be voting on one of the most lengthy ballots in state history. An essential part of RMEQ’s mission is ensuring that people like you have the information you need to cast votes that will better the lives of LGBTQ+ people and our families. These are our recommendations for how to vote on ballot measures  to help our state and LGBTQ+ Coloradans thrive.


VOTE NO

*Click each measure to expand for more information.


Amendment 81 strips due process rights from citizens and non-citizens alike and hands ICE more power over every Coloradan. Read the language closely: it requires any Coloradan to be reported to ICE on accusation alone — no conviction or evidence required. Even race and language could be used as a reason to report a Coloradan to ICE. We’ve already seen ICE’s abusive and discriminatory tactics. Why would we permanently lock that into our constitution?

Buying, selling, and distributing gas is already legal in Colorado. Corporate polluters put Amendment 82 on the ballot to give themselves a constitutional right against regulation. It would let them overturn common-sense limits on toxic water pollution and fracking near homes and schools. And because it’s in the constitution, the damage would be nearly impossible to undo.

Amendment 84 creates a massive identity theft risk for every Coloradan who votes by mail. It requires voters to write the last four digits of their social security number or their full ID number on the outside of their ballot envelope — right next to their name, address, and signature. Colorado already has an election security system in place that works. This measure is a solution in search of a problem and creates new identity theft risks for every voter.

This measure requires that all ballot titles be written at an 8th-grade reading level, without defining what that means. Colorado already has provisions that promote simple language while providing accuracy. The complexity of many issues and the title board process make it difficult to convey the impact of measures at this proposed 8th-grade level. It also could block future laws that explain ballot measure impacts to voters, like the current income tax table.

Proposition 132 makes possession of any amount of fentanyl a felony, even first-time cases. An 18-year-old sharing even one pill at a party would face the same mandatory 8-32-year prison sentence as the highest-level drug trafficker, even if they didn't know the drug contained fentanyl. It provides no new funding for treatment and would force the state to spend at least $400 million on new private prison construction.

Proposition 133 dramatically increases penalties for child sex trafficking, replacing a 16-to-48-year sentence with mandatory life in prison without parole. It also fails to protect trafficking survivors who were coerced or forced into participating in the exploitation of others, meaning victims themselves could face the harshest possible punishment. No victim service agency in Colorado has endorsed or supported Prop 133. The same organization behind Proposition 133 has used “trafficking” rhetoric around minors traveling for legally protected healthcare and is simultaneously pushing statewide restrictions on transgender youth. Proposition 133 does not mention abortion or gender-affirming care, but that broader agenda matters when considering how its backers are seeking to expand Colorado’s trafficking laws.

Proposition 134 would require all 179 school districts, plus universities and athletic associations statewide, to adopt invasive gender-check policies to determine which teams students can play on based on biological sex rather than gender identity, from kindergarten through college.It's a statewide, one-size-fits-all mandate with no state guidance on how verification should actually work. All students of any age could have to go through whatever gender check process is created just to play sports, not just transgender students, since schools are on the hook for enforcement with no clear rules.

Proposition 135 would restrict parents' access to age-appropriate, gender-affirming healthcare for their own children, giving the government more power over what care is available than parents and doctors.Its language is vague and reaches further than it lets on, potentially removing access to even mental health support, not just the specific kinds of procedures it names. The measure's list of affected providers includes mental health providers, pharmacists, dentists, and acupuncturists.

Proposition 136 caps taxes for corporations. It’s right there in the language: “…capping the state income tax for… corporations.” And because Colorado currently has a flat tax, where someone making minimum wage pays the same tax rate as a giant corporation or a millionaire, it will prevent the ultra wealthy and giant corporations from paying their fair share and you from getting a tax cut. This is about the rich and corporations, not you.


VOTE YES

*Click each measure to expand for more information.


Colorado’s current tax system taxes everyone’s income at the same flat rate, regardless of income: 4.4%. This measure would change that so wealthier Coloradans would pay higher tax rates, while individuals or businesses with a taxable income under $500,000 per year would receive a tax cut. The measure would simultaneously lower taxes for many working Colorado families and increase state revenue. New revenue collected through this amendment is required to be spent on K-12 education, healthcare, and early childhood care and education. Amendment 87 will improve equity, save families money, and enhance public services and not impact TABOR refunds.

Colorado’s public schools are underfunded, leaving teachers and students without the resources they need to succeed. This problem has been exacerbated by the TABOR revenue cap that limits how much the state can invest in crucial public resources. Proposition NN addresses this problem by allowing the state to retain some funds over the existing revenue cap to be spent on public education. It would direct these funds to put more educators in classrooms, shrink class sizes, and improve services for students and families, all without raising taxes.


Election day is on November 3. Mail ballot packets are hitting voters’ mailboxes right now, so keep an eye out for yours. Check the Colorado Secretary of State’s website to see if your voter registration is up-to-date because that is the address where your ballot will be sent. 


Make sure you return your ballot or vote in person by 7pm on November 3. If you haven't mailed your ballot back in by the week before Election Day, bring it to a dropbox rather than mailing it to make sure it counts!


And don’t forget to tell your friends and family to vote. There’s a lot at stake in this election, and your voices matter. 


RMEQ is a proud member of the Families Not Politics and Vote Common Sense coalitions.

 
 
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