COLORADO — The Valley Courier asked Governor Jared Polis to comment on amendments and propositions Coloradans will decide on when they cast their ballots.
According to Polis, "Friends have been asking me where I stand on the different statewide initiatives that will be on our ballots for the upcoming November election. So, I read through all 14 state-level ballot measures, and here are my thoughts. Like you, I am only one vote, so I encourage everyone to read up on the initiatives and make an informed decision."
Amendment G: Allow more disabled veterans to access a state property tax exemption.
"This is very simple and extends the homestead property tax exemption to about 3,400 more veterans. Rather than requiring 100% disability, to qualify for the property tax exemption, veterans would instead need to demonstrate unemployability status, which generally means that they are unable to keep a steady job due to one service-connected disability rated at 60% or more, or 2 or more service-connected disabilities with at least one disability rated at 40% or more and a combined disability rating of 70% or more. Since I want to help make Colorado the BEST state for veterans, I will be voting YES ON AMENDMENT G."
“This Amendment is meant to address several recent scandals in the judicial branch of government by setting up an independent judicial discipline board. I will be voting YES ON AMENDMENT H.
This amendment makes sure that suspects accused of first degree murder are not let out on bail. This will help make Colorado safer and I will be voting YES ON AMENDMENT I.
Colorado’s constitution still has old language that defines marriage as exclusively between one man and one woman. If the Supreme Court were ever to reverse the decision allowing same sex marriage, Colorado’s current constitutional prohibition on same sex marriage would kick back in and prevent loving same sex couples from marrying. This Amendment simply removes that antiquated language preventing same sex marriage from the state constitution. As someone who happens to be in a same-sex marriage, I strongly support this Amendment. I will be voting YES ON AMENDEMENT J.
"Amendment K moves up some of the electoral deadlines to give clerks more time to finalize the ballot before each election. While I will probably research it a bit more, for now I plan to vote YES ON AMENDMENT K.
"I am pro-choice, and this amendment would enshrine the right to choose in our state constitution. It’s already protected in state law but protecting it in our state constitution is stronger. I will be voting YES ON Amendment 79."
"This proposition would end trophy hunting of mountain lions and bobcats in Colorado and ensure that lynx are never accidentally killed in a trap meant for bobcats. Whether this passes or not, I’m confident that Colorado Parks and Wildlife will be able to continue to manage our wildlife effectively to ensure ecological diversity with plenty of opportunities for big game hunting. I would love to hear what others think on this one, and I probably won’t have a strong opinion one way or the other, but will certainly work to successfully implement the will of the voters either way. I am NEUTRAL ON PROPOSITION 127."
"This amendment would require violent criminals to serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before becoming eligible for parole or early release for good behavior. I haven’t made up my mind on this one and would love to hear your thoughts. In general, I do support tougher sentencing for the worst violent crimes like murder and assault, but I’m not sure micromanaging parole or interfering in judicial discretion is the way to go. I think it might be better to have discretion to fit the crime, the victim’s input, and the circumstances than to lock it in at 85%, but I’m open to the concept. I am NEUTRAL ON PROPOSITION 128."
Amendment 80 would enshrine in the state constitution the right of parents to choose the right kind of education to give their children, from kindergarten to 12th grade, including neighborhood, charter and private schools, homeschooling, or an open enrollment option. I generally support this concept, but I’m not sure exactly what a constitutional right would mean legally. Maybe it means that a parent could sue if the state ever tried to ban homeschooling or private school? In that case, it would be good to give parents more rights. On the other hand, it could lead to costly litigation with uncertain outcomes. I am NEUTRAL ON Amendment 80."
"This measure would create a new mid-level veterinary professional position between a vet tech (which typically requires an associate degree) and a full veterinarian (which requires eight or more years of higher education). I think this is a great idea, and we have something similar in human medicine with Physicians Assistants and Nurse Practitioners. It would be great to have it as an option for veterinarians to expand the bandwidth of their practices, too, and it will help save people money on veterinary bills for pets and also better support our ranchers in rural areas with severe veterinary shortages. I will be voting YES ON PROPOSITION 129."
"This Initiative will set aside $350 million in a dedicated fund to support law enforcement and establish a million dollar death benefit for the survivors of law enforcement officials killed in the line of duty. This initiative will support our men and women in blue and help make Colorado safer and I plan to vote YES ON Proposition 130."
"This initiative would make it so all candidates running for an office appear on the primary ballot, and then the top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, proceed to the general election. For future November elections, voters would get a ballot listing four candidates. Instead of picking just one, voters would rank the candidates in order of preference. This is also called “instant-runoff voting.” While Colorado has among the best voter integrity and access protections, no system of voting is perfect, and I think instant runoff voting is better than our current system because it gives voters more choices. I’m hopeful that if it passes it will encourage participation and improve our democracy. I will be voting YES ON Proposition 131."
“This initiative would put a 6.5% excise tax on gun and ammunition sales, with the proceeds going to behavioral health support for veterans and youth, school safety and gun violence prevention, and services for victims of domestic violence and other violent crimes. While higher tax levels were discussed early in the process, I was pleased that proponents brought it down to 6.5%, which I think is a reasonable level, and we do need more funding for school safety and victim services and will help make Colorado one of the ten safest states. I plan to vote YES ON PROPOSITION KK."
