Politics
Former Interior secretary Ken Salazar urges Colorado voters to reject Amendment 87
Ken Salazar is opposing a proposed graduated income tax, arguing it would hurt workers, while supporters say it would lower taxes for most Coloradans and raise money for public services. The measure remains on the November ballot after a judge rejected a challenge to its qualification.
Former U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is urging Colorado voters to reject Amendment 87, a proposed constitutional change that would replace the state’s flat income tax with graduated rates.
In a campaign video filmed at a construction site, Salazar, a Democrat and former Colorado attorney general and U.S. senator, says the measure “will hurt our workers” and argues the state needs to bring costs down. The video was paid for by Keep Colorado Affordable, an issue committee backing Proposition 136, a competing measure that would cap the state income tax at its current 4.4% rate.
Amendment 87 would raise an estimated $2 billion by changing the tax structure. Its supporters say about 97% of Coloradans would receive a tax cut, while higher-income residents would pay more. They say the additional revenue could help fund education, child care and health care.
The measure’s tax changes vary by income. Under the figures cited in the campaign, someone earning $25,000 would owe $175 less, while a taxpayer earning $550,000 would owe $25,375—$1,175 more. A taxpayer earning $2 million would see the bill rise from $88,000 to $143,925, an increase of $55,925.
Critics say higher rates could make Colorado less competitive economically. They also question putting a tax structure in the state constitution without income thresholds that automatically adjust for inflation.
State Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, criticized Salazar’s position in an Instagram post and urged voters to support Amendment 87. She said it would tax wealthy residents to help pay for public services while giving most Coloradans a tax break.
A Denver District Court judge ruled earlier this week that Amendment 87 can remain on the ballot. The decision rejected a lawsuit arguing that problems with paid petition gatherers’ registration and training should have invalidated signatures submitted for the measure. The plaintiff’s lawyers said they planned to seek an expedited appeal to the Colorado Supreme Court.
If both Amendment 87 and Proposition 136 pass, the measure receiving more votes is widely expected at the state Capitol to control, though courts could ultimately be asked to resolve the conflict.