2021 Action & Advocacy

2021 ACTION ALERTS RESULTS!

Proposition 119 Was Defeated

701,467 (45.75%) Yes

831,668 (54.24%) No

Proposition 119, (Initiative 25) (Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress (LEAP) Program)

This initiative is vague and overly broad. While it proposes to provide after-school learning opportunities for children, it does nothing to address the underfunding of our public schools, but instead takes money away from public school finance and opens the door for the private sector to tap into critically needed public education funding. It would create an independent, unregulated organization with no oversight, public input, or recourse for mismanagement or fraud.

See our position paper on Proposition 119.

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Proposition 120 Was Defeated

652,380 (42.96%) Yes

866,194 (57.04%) No

Proposition 120, (Initiative 27) (Property Tax Assessment Rate Reduction and Voter-Approved Revenue Change)

This ballot proposal would reduce the residential property tax assessment rate from 7.15% to 6.5% and the non-residential property tax assessment rate from 29% to 26.4%. To make up for the lost property tax revenue to school districts, the measure would require an increase in state expenditures by at least $257.7 million per year beginning in budget year 2022-23. The measure would result in cuts to many state programs and services.

See our position paper on Proposition 120.

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Amendment 78 Was Defeated

646,979 (43.03%) Yes

856,703 (56.97%) No

Amendment 78, (Initiative 19) (Requirements for Spending Custodial Money)

Initiative 19 would transfer the power to appropriate “custodial funds” (money received by the state that is provided for a particular purpose that originated from a source other than the state taxes ) from the executive branch (Governor, State Treasurer, and heads of departments and agencies) to the State Legislature. Because the Legislature is in session only 120 days of the year, this amendment would lead to a disruption of services or federal payments. In order to access custodial funds in a timely manner, the part-time Legislature would have to be called back into numerous special sessions at a cost of $25,000/day; otherwise, the money in the custodial fund would remain inaccessible and unspent until the following January when the Legislature would reconvene.

See our analysis of Amendment 78

Analysis and position papers

Amendment 78 (Initiative 19)- Requirements for Spending Custodial Money DEFEATED

Proposition 119 (Initiative 25) - Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress (LEAP) Program DEFEATED

Proposition 120 (Initiative 27) - Property Tax Assessment Rate Reduction and Voter-Approved Revenue Change DEFEATED

HB21-1294 - Audit of State Accountability/Accreditation System (Passed and signed)

HB21-1295 - Rebuttable Presumption in Charter School Appeals (Postponed Indefinitely)

Information sheet

Issues with Charter School Law (1993-2021)

Resolution to Redesign Colorado's Education Accountability System

The campaign to defeat Proposition 119 was not through paid advertising

but through the free media.

Below are many of the news articles in 2021 by A4PEP, friends of A4PEP and reporters agreeing with A4PEP's opposition that Proposition 119 is badly flawed. Read our analysis and the articles below for more information.

See also our position papers on Proposition 120 and Amendment 78.

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Read our analysis of the many reasons to reject this proposition.

View our PowerPoint covering the flaws in Prop. 119

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27 September, Westword

In Thomas Mitchell's article Proposition 119 is described as a band aid, not a fix for school under-funding, and that returning to a five day a week school is better than a one-hour after-school dance class.

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1 October, the Denver Post

Former Representative Judy Solano explains Proposition 119 and how it is crafted for purposes other than helping children.

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8 October, Greeley Tribune

Don Pearl describes the tax dollars grabbed by Proposition 119 and how it is setup for easy deception.