1986: A Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights appears on the state ballot for the first time.
1988: Douglas Bruce, a Colorado Springs activist, leads his first attempt to amend the state constitution with tax-and-spend limits. Voters reject TABOR.
1990: Failure again. Bruce is unable to persuade voters to support TABOR, and he bitterly complains that voters “timidly and gullibly surrendered” to blackmail by the state’s political leaders.
1992: Third time’s a charm. Bruce celebrates victory at last as a majority of voters approve the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
1997: State revenues cross TABOR’s spending limit for the first time, triggering refunds.
2000: Budget by ballot: Amendment 23 is approved by voters, mandating annual increases in spending on public schools, further squeezing other parts of the state budget.
2001: Recession begins. By mid- 2002, Colorado plummets into the worst job slump in the nation, losing 49,800 jobs compared with the previous year. Tax revenues plummet.
2002: Budget cuts: State leaders begin the first of a total of $1 billion in spending cuts over four years to balance the state budget. Budget analysts warn that “the ratchet” will keep future budget growth tied to recession levels, unable to keep pace with the continuing population growth and economic recovery.
2004: A stalemate at the statehouse leaves the budget quandary unresolved.
2005: Gov. Bill Owens, some statehouse Republicans and all the Democrats send Referendums C and D to voters to fix the ratchet and temporarily ease spending limits.
