Mike Rosen's Ballot measure picks for Colorado’s November election

Freedom Unaffiliated

Mike Rosen's Ballot measure picks for Colorado’s November election.

By Mike Rosen

For those who haven’t the time or interest in plowing through the 91 pages of the State’s published Blue Book explaining each of the 14 measures on this year’s election ballot, as in years past, I’m saving you the trouble by humbly offering my recommendations as follows.

As for the judges on the ballot, the retention process is for the most part perfunctory. Rarely is a judge not retained. The judicial performance criteria don’t include a judge’s judicial philosophy or provide a record of rulings. Every single one of the 26 judges up for retention in this election have been found to have “met performance standards” by a unanimous vote of the respective commissions. If I happen to know about a particular judge, I’ll vote “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise, I don’t cast a vote.

Amendment G: Property Tax Exemption for Disabled Veterans

Recommendation: Yes

Yay, vets.

Amendment H: Judicial Discipline Procedures

Recommendation: Yes

Creates an independent board to judge judges on unethical conduct.

Amendment I: Constitutional Bail Exception for First Degree Murder

Recommendation: Yes

The repeal of the death penalty by the state legislature in 2020 inadvertently made persons so charged eligible for bail. This measure restores the power of judges to deny them bail. Opposition by the criminal-coddling left-wing ACLU is reason enough to vote for it.

Amendment J: Repealing the Definition of Marriage in the Colorado Constitution

Recommendation: Yes

In 2022, when both SCOTUS and the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a right to marry, language in the state Constitution that defined a valid marriage as solely the union between one man and one woman was rendered contradictory to current law.

Amendment K: Modify Constitutional Election Deadlines

Recommendation: No

With Democrat control of the state legislature and all statewide offices, the only power dissenting citizens have is the ballot initiative process. Amendment K excessively squeezes the time citizens have to collect signatures and file petitions.

Amendment 79: Constitutional Right to Abortion

Recommendation: No

When SCOTUS overturned Roe V. Wade in 2022, it returned abortion law to the states. The Democrat majority in the Colorado legislature responded by passing the most radically permissive pro-abortion law in the nation. Amendment 79 would set it in concrete in the state Constitution. The measure would also repeal the ban on government funding for abortion, forcing taxpayers who morally oppose abortions to pay for them.

Amendment 80: Constitutional Right to School Choice

Recommendation: Yes

The remedy for the sorry state of performance and political indoctrination in our public schools is the rising school choice movement that will break the strangle-hold of teacher unions and progressive ideology. Amendment 80 would protect and expand private and charter schools that offer alternative approaches and curricula to combat the left’s near monopoly in K-12 education. Expect staunch opposition from teacher unions and legislative Democrats who would narrowly define “school choice” to exclude private school vouchers that allow lower-income parents to access public funds to enroll their kids in far superior private schools.

Proposition JJ: Retain Additional Sports Betting Revenue

Recommendation: No

This is another scheme by Democrats to circumvent TABOR and increase taxes on sports betting. The original ballot measure approved by voters placed a tax limit on these gambling venues, mandating refunds when tax revenues exceeded that cap. Now, the government wants to welsh on that bet.

Proposition KK: Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax

Recommendation: No

This imposes a state sales tax of 6.5% on top of the existing 10%-11% federal excise tax for these items. It’s just another anti-gun measure masquerading as a fund raiser for worthy causes, including crime victim support services, mental health services for veterans and youth, and school safety programs, a political marketing ploy of anti-gunners to seduce voters.

Proposition 127: Prohibit Bobcat, Lynx, and Mountain Lion Hunting

Recommendation: No

More meddling from animal rights crazies that hate hunters. They hate ranchers, too. Their last ballot measure imported the wolves that are now killing sheep and cows.

Proposition 128: Parole Eligibility for Crimes of Violence

Recommendation: Yes

This extends prison time for violent criminals and third-time offenders before they become eligible for parole. The more time they spend in the slammer, the less they’ll be among us.

Proposition 129: Establishing Veterinary Professional Associates

Recommendation: Yes

All I know about vets I learned from “ All Creatures Great and Small” on PBS. The more the merrier.

Proposition 130: Funding for Law Enforcement

Recommendation: Yes

Provides $350 million to help recruit, train, and retain local law enforcement officers; and add benefits for families of officers killed in the line of duty. A lot better idea than “Defunding the Police.”

Proposition 131: Establishing All-Candidate Primary and Ranked Choice Voting General Elections

Recommendation: Hell, No!

This is an absurdly convoluted and impractical electoral scheme that eliminates party primaries on the pretense of replacing our two-party system to elect “moderate” candidates. RCV requires voters to check boxes ranking all competing candidates for the same office, including those they’d never vote for. It’s creators and supporters, like George Soros, are overwhelmingly on the left or simply naïve. In practice, it’s been manipulated by Democrats. At least ten Republican states have already revoked or banned it.