DENVER—Key state officials and business leaders on Tuesday endorsed a proposal to resolve conflicting mandates in the Colorado Constitution by easing overall spending limits and eliminating required increases in public school funding.
The plan, by House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, would create a savings account for public schools and require a two-thirds vote of both houses to access the account.
It also eliminates tax surplus refunds under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, but still gives voters the right to veto a tax increase. It also guarantees funding for transportation.
The plan would have to be approved by voters.
Romanoff said the conflicting mandates in the constitution have limited lawmakers’ ability to deal with budget problems, forcing them to cut funding for health care and higher education to meet the requirement of increased public education funding without exceeding TABOR’s overall limits.
“We have a chance to shape our economic destiny,” Romanoff told the House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee.
The committee delayed a vote on the measure, which would require a two-thirds vote in each house to get on the November ballot.
Rep. Douglas Bruce, R-Colorado Springs, who helped write TABOR, opposed the plan, saying taxpayers would give up their right to decide for themselves how to spend the tax-surplus refunds. The refunds are required when state revenues exceed the limits in TABOR, which are based on population growth and inflation.
“This measure, if adopted, would mean unlimited state funding forever,” he said.
State Treasurer Cary Kennedy, who helped sponsor the public-school spending amendment, backed the plan because it protects education funding.
Bill Skewes of the Colorado Contractors Association also backed the plan because it provides more money for highways and bridges.
Attorney General John Suthers, a Republican, supported the bill but said later he had reservations after Democrats amended a separate measure to preserve some of the school funding increase.
That change provoked a strong backlash from Republicans and was later removed.
“Republicans are worried about their ox being gored. I’m dreaming of the time when Republicans are back in power and they will have some discretion over spending,” Suthers said.
