Amendment 67Personhood Colorado’s initiated constitutional amendment is narrower in scope than the organization’s 2008 and 2010 Personhood Amendment initiatives. The 2014 measure seeks to add unborn human beings to the words ìpersonî and ìchildî in the Colorado Criminal Code and Colorado Wrongful Death Act.Advocates say the amendment would allow criminal charges and wrongful death civil cases to move forward when an unborn child dies in a crime. Personhood Colorado calls the campaign ìThe Brady Project,î in reference to Heather Surovik’s unborn child who was killed in a car accident in the eighth month of pregnancy. The drunk driver was not prosecuted for vehicular manslaughter because Colorado law did not recognize fetuses as persons at the time of the accident in 2012.Opponents say the amendment could be used to take criminal and civil action against doctors and women who perform or procure abortions. The Vote No 67 Campaign organization website says HB 13-1154, the Crimes Against Pregnant Women bill that was signed into law in June 2013, created the new criminal offense ìunlawful termination of pregnancy,î which would allow the prosecution of the driver in Surovik’s case without the possibility of criminalizing abortion procedures.Amendment 68This measure would allow ìlimited-stakes casino gamblingî at three horse racing tracks in Arapahoe, Mesa and Pueblo counties. Allowed games would include slot machines, card games such as blackjack and poker, roulette and craps. This type of gaming is currently only permitted in Cripple Creek, Central City and Black Hawk. Only the Arapahoe track would be able to start gambling operations in 2015. There are no racetracks in the other two counties that could host gambling operations. No revenue could be expected for those two counties from this amendment until at least 2019.Advocates say up to $114 million per year could be raised from a tax on gaming revenue at the current and future tracks. Each of the three tracks would also give the state a startup fee of up to $25 million to mitigate impacts to the area. The primary donor for the pro-68 campaign is the Rhode Island-based racetrack operator who owns the Arapahoe track.Opponents say there is no guarantee the other two counties would ever have successful track and casino operations to generate the promised revenue. Existing casino operators in Cripple Creek, Central City and Black Hawk are concerned that the Aurora casino would divert revenues from Colorado-controlled operators to the Rhode Island company. The primary donors for the No on 68 campaigns are the existing Colorado casinos.Proposition 104This measure mandates, under the Sunshine Law, that school boards hold open meetings when members of the board or any district representative is negotiating with teacher unions for collective bargaining agreements or employment contracts.Advocates include the Independence Institute, a Denver think tank that authored the measure. Jon Caldara, the president of the institute, wrote that the most important thing that school boards do is negotiate employment contracts. Since this represents up to 85 percent of the total budget in some districts, it should be open to public scrutiny, according to their website.Opponents say the measure is too broad and will confuse district boards and employees. There is the potential for large additional legal costs and board member and staff time spent on determining which meetings, gatherings or communications are covered by the measure.Proposition 105This proposition would require that any foods containing or having been treated with genetically modified organisms be labeled with the phrase ìproduced with genetic engineering.î The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment would be responsible for regulating the labeling. There would be no ability of private individuals to sue manufacturers for not labeling correctly. Food served in restaurants or for immediate consumption would be exempt. Similar initiatives in California, Washington and Oregon were defeated.Advocates, including Colorado Right to Know, say the law would let residents make informed buying decisions. The organization’s website states that increased labeling for GMOs would allow families and pediatricians to better determine if allergies and food sensitivities are due to GMO ingredients.Opponents say the law would unfairly burden Colorado producers and would increase grocery costs for Colorado families because of the additional expenses of labeling products and segregating GMO and non-GMO crops.County 1AThis proposition would allow El Paso County to keep about $2 million in excess revenues. These excess revenues would have otherwise been refunded to county property owners as a one-time $8.41 credit. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights allows local governments to ask taxpayers in an election to keep excess revenues for specific uses.This question does not specifically list the parks or projects that would receive the funds. The ballot language mentions the proposed Falcon county park on land donated by Meridian Ranch, Homestead Ranch in Peyton and Black Forest parks as possible non-binding examples of where the money could be spent.Advocates, such as the Trails and Open Space Coalition, say the measure is not a tax increase. ìHealthy parks, trails and open spaces contribute to a healthy economy,î TOSC states on its website.Opponents, including TABOR author Doug Bruce, say the measure represents government overspending and a way to avoid the TABOR measure. Advocates also admit that the ballot language would theoretically allow the county to use the money for other expenses within the parks department besides the examples in the measure.County 1BA Pikes Peak Regional Drainage Authority would be created by this ballot measure. It would cost the average homeowner an additional $7.70 per month on property taxes with no possible TABOR refunds, if excess revenues are collected. Fifty-five percent of the fee would sunset after 20 years unless extended by another ballot measure. Two of the 11 board members would be appointed by the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, with the rest coming from the city of Colorado Springs, Fountain, Manitou Springs and Green Mountain Falls. For Falcon area residents, the non-binding list of recommended projects include stabilizing Kettle Creek in Black Forest, three projects in the Falcon Drainage Basin and five projects in the Jimmy Camp Creek area south of Falcon.Advocates, including the Citizens for Responsible Stormwater Action, say a regional master plan for stormwater is more efficient. ìA long-term stormwater management program, rather than a Band-Aid approach, uses our dollars most efficiently.îOpponents, including talk show host Jeff Crank on KVOR radio, say calling the bill a fee instead of tax is dishonest. ìIt was worded this way to enhance the ability to get it passed,î Crank wrote on his blog. Colorado Springs mayor Steve Bach wrote in a statement to the media that voters will have no control or say over the PPRDA or its operations.County 1CThis measure would reduce the term limits for the El Paso County sheriff from three four-year terms to two terms. The measure originally was designed to also include the district attorney, but that position also includes Teller County. Teller County officials declined to include a term limit question on their ballot.Advocates say that limiting the number of terms for sheriff will give new thinking an opportunity in the department. Bill Elder, presumptive successor to Sheriff Terry Maketa, said he supported the measure and will only seek to serve two terms, regardless of the outcome.Opponents to term limits say they also limit the authority of voters to keep elected officials, if voters think the official is doing a good job.Falcon D 49 3AThis measure would extend an existing mill levy approved in 2005 of up to $7.5 million per year. This levy would otherwise sunset in 2030. It would redirect the levy funds to increasing salaries and benefits for teachers, adding high school classes that would earn student college credit and career certifications, adding security measures on campuses and additional classroom technology.Advocates, including Yes for District 49 Students, say the override will improve student outcomes. ì3A will allow us to attract and retain highly effective teachers for our schools.îOpponents say adding college credit classes and classroom technology for remote access will not help overcrowding. The measure will also eliminate the sunset clause that 2005 voters approved.Falcon D 49 3BThis measure will authorize the school district to increase its total debt by about $107 million, with an additional repayment cost of $222 million. Taxes would be increased by $9.9 million annually to pay for the interest and principal of this new bond issue. The ballot language states that the money will not be used for district administration expenses. It would allow the district to purchase two facilities it currently leases, renovate facilities including Falcon High School and Falcon Elementary, and build two new elementary and one new middle schools. One of the elementary schools would be in the Paintbrush subdivision in Falcon. The district estimates it would raise property taxes $1 per $100,000 of residential home value per month.Advocates, including Yes for District 49 Students, say the new schools in Falcon and Banning Lewis Ranch will reduce overcrowding at Woodmen Hills Elementary and Meridian Ranch Elementary. A citizen oversight committee and annual audit would add accountability for taxpayer funds.Opponents point out this would raise taxes on homeowners who may not have children in the district. District board member Chuck Irons told the Colorado Springs Gazette on Aug. 24 he voted against the ballot language because he did not agree with the list of improvements. Irons told Gazette reporter Debbie Kelley, ìItís going to add to the tax burden of our electorate with projects I don’t really support.î
