Several Senate Republicans on Friday joined with Democrats to support “Son of Ref O,” a measure making it more difficult for voters to amend the Colorado Constitution.
Currently in Colorado, passage of constitutional amendments requires only a simple majority, which critics say is too easy. Colorado’s constitution had been amended 81 times in the past 44 years, with sometimes conflicting results.
The resolution approved Friday would allow voters in 2012 to decide whether to require a 60 percent vote to pass a constitutional amendment.
An official vote on the resolution, which has bipartisan support in both chambers, is expected Monday.
The Senate Republicans who joined with Senate Democrats to back the measure are the co-sponsor, Nancy Spence of Centennial, Mike Kopp of Littleton, Greg Brophy of Wray, Ellen Roberts of Durango and Jean White of Hayden.
Brophy said he fears for economic development on the Eastern Plains if a higher threshold is not approved. He said rich special interests in California have been successful in going to the ballot to outlaw certain agricultural operations.
But opponents said that if Coloradans approve the measure, only the rich will be able to afford what is a constitutional right in Colorado.
Sen. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, unsuccessfully tried to amend the resolution so anyone trying to repeal an amendment passed before 2013 would need 60 percent. The resolution requires only a simple majority. Spence said that was fair because they passed with only only a simple majority.
Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, said it was clear that the 50 percent provision was a “loophole so the cheerleaders for big government can keep taking whacks at TABOR,” the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
“I love TABOR,” Spence responded.
Voters in 2008 rejected another referred measure, Referendum O, which proposed a similar restriction. The business community, occupied that year by a battle over ballot measures dealing with labor issues, did not sink any real money into supporting Referendum O.
Ballot length also played a role, Roberts said.
“We were No. 19 out of 19 ballot issues,” Roberts said.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
