They’re probably not exciting to most voters, but three measures on the November ballot will ask Coloradans about bingo, cattle-grazing and how to govern the state in a disaster.
These are the lettered ballot measures — Amendments P, Q and R — that lawmakers referred to the ballot. Typically, referred measures make small, noncontroversial changes to the constitution, and this year’s batch is not much different.
Amendment P would move the regulation of bingo and raffles out of the secretary of state’s office and into the Department of Revenue, which regulates other games of chance. The secretary of state’s office has regulated bingo and raffles since 1958, and the amendment would allow lawmakers to choose which state agency they want to regulate the games.
Both agencies agreed the regulation makes the most sense at the Department of Revenue, and lawmakers have already voted to allow revenue officials to take on the duty if Amendment P passes.
Legislative analysts estimate it will cost taxpayers $116,000 to transfer the regulation to the new agency.
Amendment Q would allow the governor and legislature to temporarily move the seat of state government out of Denver County in the event of a catastrophe.
The Colorado Constitution has designated Denver as the state seat of government since statehood, and the only way it could be moved out of Denver is with a constitutional amendment approved by two- thirds of voters at a general election.
That is not terribly handy in the event metro Denver is beset by a natural catastrophe or if terrorists attack the Capitol. The amendment creates a process for temporarily moving the seat of government in a disaster.
The new location would be temporary, and lawmakers would have to designate a fixed date by which to move back to Denver.
Thirty-six other states have a similar process.
Amendment R would eliminate property taxes for people or businesses that use government-owned land for a private benefit worth $6,000 or less. Essentially, this amendment would eliminate taxes paid by many ranchers who graze cattle on government land.
Why give them a tax break? Counties say the amount of tax owed is often so small that the cost of collecting it is greater than the amount owed.
The amendment would cost the state an estimated $46,000 a year in lost funding for schools. It would also eliminate an estimated $160,000 per year in property-tax revenue for local governments, of which $46,000 would come from local school funding.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
