Lawmakers were asked today to approve a ballot measure to let the voters decide—once and for all–whether to allow future lawmakers to raise taxes strictly for education purposes, or to keep the status quo of having to ask the voters first to raise taxes under provisions of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).
House Concurrent Resolution 1002, sponsored by Democratic Representative Debbie Benefield of Arvada, was heard by the House Education Committee, before a packed hearing in the Old Supreme Court Chambers–a room usually reserved for large turnouts. After four hours of testimony, the committee approved the measure on a party-line vote.
Benefield began the testimony with her reasoning behind the measure—to give legislators more future discretion when it comes to funding education by making revisions to TABOR in the upcoming November election.
“Our hands are so tied at this level (of funding) that it’s almost an impossibility without undoing some of the issues that beset our state constitution,” said Benefield.
Those who came to support the measure spoke of what they said is a dire need for tax increases to fund education. Those who came to oppose the measure spoke of preserving the right of voters under TABOR to approve or disapprove requests for a tax increase.
Former Republican state Rep. Penn Pfiffner came to speak to the panel against the measure, now as chairman of “The TABOR Committee,” a group that advocates no changes to the constitution regarding taxpayer rights. Pfiffner began with a question for the panel.
“Is this (HCR1002) the best vehicle to bring us what we need?” asked Pfiffner. “I’m going to tell you it isn’t.”
The argument that Pfiffner and many others made against the resolution was that it would effectively dismantle TABOR completely.
“The real purpose of this measure is to establish a frontal attack—a way to get rid of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights,” said Pfiffner.
Karen Wick of the Colorado Education Association testified in support the measure, saying that something needs to be done about lagging revenues for education.
“Our ultimate goal is to have a new tax structure by 2011,” said Wick, who told lawmakers she is especially concerned about a fiscal freefall when federal stimulus dollars run out and TABOR provisions remain.
Rep. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, said HCR 1002 is needed to ensure a reliable revenue stream, rather than having to ask for it during each election cycle with an uncertain outcome.
“The belief in education and the belief in making sure that we are funding education is alive and well in many of our districts and I’m always appalled when I hear that a parent voted against their own investment in education,” said Todd.
Carol Boigon, chair of Great Education Colorado, a coalition of organizations and individuals formed to support improvements in education though increased funding, told the panel that something has to be done—and soon.
“When it comes to public education in Colorado, inaction is not an option,” said Boigon, who also sits on the Denver City Council.
Rep. Carol Murray, R-Castle Rock, said that she understands the dynamic at stake because her husband is a public school principal. However, going after TABOR, for her, is the wrong approach.
“It’s brutal out there right now in education and I get it. But what we’re looking at today is a drastic change to TABOR. We’re looking at using a sledgehammer on something that we should be using a scalpel on,” said Murray.
The measure is now headed to the House floor where it must, as a concurrent resolution, receive a two-thirds majority vote. It would then go to the Senate for consideration where it must also receive the supermajority vote to pass. If the measure passes both houses, it would then go to a full vote of the people as a ballot measure in November.