Prop 132 - Penalties for Fentanyl Crimes
Position: Support
Change Type: Statutory
The DMCC Board voted to support Prop 132, which would strengthen criminal penalties for fentanyl possession and distribution while maintaining pathways to treatment and recovery.
Public safety remains fundamental to a healthy economy, strong workforce, and vibrant communities. Addressing Colorado's fentanyl crisis is critical to improving community safety and economic vitality. This measure is consistent with the Chamber’s legislative efforts on this issue.
Amendment 82 - Right to Purchase and Sell Natural Gas
Position: Support
Change Type: Statutory
The DMCC Board voted to support Amendment 82, which would create constitutional rights for consumers to purchase natural gas for cooking and heating, and for utilities and distributors to sell it to homes and businesses.
This measure protects energy choice and planning certainty for homeowners, restaurants, hospitals, manufacturers and buildings that use natural gas. It allows businesses to maintain operational flexibility while ensuring access to reliable and affordable energy sources.
This measure is in direct response to policymakers’ continued efforts via statute and rule to mandate preferred energy sources regardless of their economic or technical feasibility and ban non-preferred choices.
Prop 137 - Sporting Goods-Revenue for Wildfire and Conservation Funding
Position: Support
Change Type: Statutory
The DMCC Board voted to support Prop 137, which will statutorily dedicate approximately $175 million in existing annual sales-tax revenue associated with sporting goods to wildfire mitigation, forest health, conservation efforts, and outdoor recreation infrastructure with no increase in sales tax rates.
The growing economic impacts of catastrophic wildfires on businesses, utilities, tourism, insurance premiums, and water infrastructure are necessary to provide targeted investment in risk reduction and long-term economic resilience.
Prop 136 - Income Tax Cap
Position: Support
Change Type: Statutory
The DMCC Board voted to support Proposition 136, which would establish a statutory cap on Colorado's income tax rate at 4.4%.
This measure will help provide greater tax certainty and affordability for Colorado residents and small businesses while reinforcing the state's economic competitiveness. This measure is in direct response to efforts underway to eliminate Colorado’s flat income tax.
Amendment 87 - Graduated Income Tax
Position: Oppose
Change Type: Constitutional
The DMCC Board voted to oppose Amendment 87, which would replace Colorado's current income tax system with a graduated tax structure. The massive $2+ billion annual tax increase would make it more expensive for our local Main Street businesses to create jobs, operate and grow. This measure would put us among the top 10 highest income tax states in the nation.
The measure promises tax rate cuts to many Coloradans, but does not adjust the proposed brackets to inflation, so the promised rate cuts will disappear as inflation moves unsuspecting taxpayers into higher brackets with no additional spending power.
Ballot Issue 7A-Front Range Passenger Rail Regional Tax Measure
Position: Oppose
Change Type: Statutory
The DMCC Board voted to oppose a permanent $300 million per year regional sales tax measure intended to fund a portion of the proposed Front Range Passenger Rail between Pueblo and Denver.
While supportive of strategic transportation investments and economic development opportunities, this proposal lacks clear ridership projections, ticket prices, and insufficient financial and operational certainty. This new permanent regional sales tax burden has no performance requirements, and would apply to everyday retail purchases across the district, regardless of income and whether anyone rides the train.
Additionally, this tax is not necessary to complete the Denver to Fort Collins starter service.
Proposition NN - Keep and Spend Money for Education and Public Purposes
Position: Oppose
Change Type: Statutory
The Chamber Board voted to oppose Proposition NN, which would permanently allow the state to keep revenue collected above the state spending limit that otherwise would be returned to taxpayers, and redirect it to K–12 spending, property-tax reimbursements, and unspecified children’s programs.
The measure is a massive expansion of the state’s general fund – increasing capacity by nearly 25% in a single measure. The measure does not prevent or limit in any fashion the legislature from increasing fees to fill the new $4.6 billion in TABOR capacity the measure creates. At a time when affordability is a major competitive issue for our state, increasing governments costs by this magnitude is unwise. The measure also lacks any performance metrics and does not address broader budgetary prioritization issues between healthcare, K-12 and higher education, or transportation.
