Colorado 2008 ballot measures

From Ballotpedia

1 Key facts
2 External links
3 Additional reading
4 References

The deadline for filing signatures to make the November 4 ballot in Colorado was Monday, August 4.

Colorado was to have more initiatives (14) on the November 2008 ballot than on any previous year's ballot since 1912, when 22 initiatives were put before voters. But just hours before the Oct. 2, 2008, deadline, union sponsors of four controversial amendments announced they had struck a deal with business interests, leading them to pull all four measures from the ballot. Because ballots are already being printed, the measures will appear on the ballot, but the withdrawal will result in no votes for those measures being counted.^[1] ^[2] ^[3]

The ballot will now include 10 citizen-sponsored measures, a number still only matched once (1972) since 1912, when Coloradans first allowed initiatives on the ballot and voted on 22 of them.

The 2008 ballot measures include 10 initiatives and four legislative referrals. One of the measures certified for the ballot still faces a post-certification signature challenge, the outcome of which is pending.

One initiative campaign that filed signatures by the August 4th deadline failed to be certified for the ballot due to insufficient number of valid signatures.

In the table,

"CICA" stands for citizen-initiated constitutional amendment,
"CI" for a citizen-initiated state statute
"LR" for a legislative referral.

Key facts

Through 2007, a total of 196 citizen-initiated ballot propositions had appeared on Colorado's ballot since the beginning of the process in 1912. Of those, 70 passed and 126 failed.

With 10 initiatives on the 2008 ballot, the historical total of Colorado citizen initiatives increased to 206.

For information on other citizen initiatives that attempted but failed to make the ballot, see Colorado 2008 citizen initiatives.

Appeared on 2008 ballot

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Status
LR	Referendum L	Candidate requirements	Would lower the age of a candidate for the Colorado House and Senate from 25 to 21	Failed Yes: 46% No: 54%
LR	Referendum M	Obsolete constitutional provisions	Would eliminate obsolete provisions in the constitution about land value increases	Passed Yes: 62% No: 38%
LR	Referendum N	Obsolete constitutional provisions	Would eliminate obsolete provisions in the constitution about intoxicating liquor	Passed Yes: 69% No: 31%
LR	Referendum O	Initiative Process	Would make it harder for citizens to place constitutional amendments on the ballot for voter approval but easier to call a vote on state statutes	Failed Yes: 48% No: 52%
CICA	Amendment 46: Colorado Civil Rights Initiative (2008)	Affirmative action	Prohibit state from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting	Failed Yes: 49% No: 51%
CICA	Amendment 47: Right to Work initiative	Business Regulations	Prohibit unions and employers from negotiating "union shop" contracts under which employees would be required to pay union membership or "agency" fees as a condition of continued employment.	Failed Yes: 44% No: 56%
CICA	Amendment 48: Definition of Personhood	Abortion	Change the definition of 'person' in the Colorado Constitution to include any fertilized egg, embryo or fetus	Failed Yes: 27% No: 73%
CICA	Amendment 49: Limitation on Public Payroll Deductions Initiative	Ask First	Bar automatic union dues deductions from public employee payrolls	Failed Yes: 39% No: 61%
CICA	Amendment 50: Limited Gaming Initiative	Gambling	Would allow the general assembly or voters in the cities that permit limited gaming to extend the hours of limited gaming operations; to add roulette, craps, or both to the allowed games; and to increase the maximum bet up to $100, with extra tax revenue generated to be distributed 22% to the cities where limited gaming exists and 78% for student financial aid for higher education	Passed Yes: 59% No: 41%
CI	Amendment 51: Sales Tax for Developmentally Disabled Initiative	Services for Developmentally Disabled, Sales Tax	Would increase the sales tax, in July 2009 and again in July 2010 by 2 cents on $10, to fund services for the developmentally disabled	Failed Yes: 38% No: 62%
CICA	Amendment 52: Severance Tax & Transportation Initiative	Severance Tax, Transportation	Would create the Colorado Transportation Trust Fund, to be funded by that portion of the severance tax that exceeds the amount deposited to the state severance tax fund in the previous year, adjusted for inflation via the Consumer Price Index	Failed Yes: 36% No: 64%
CICA	Amendment 54: Clean Government Initiative	Government Contracting Reform	Would close a remaining loophole in Colorado election law by banning the practice of "Pay to Play"	Passed Yes: 51% No: 49%
CI	Amendment 58: Severance Tax Initiative	Taxes	Would eliminate a tax credit for property taxes paid for payers of the severance tax, using the revenue primarily to fund college scholarships	Failed Yes: 42% No: 58%
CICA	Amendment 59: Savings Account for Education Initiative	Education Funding	Would create a state education fund savings account within the state education fund, to be funded from 10% of the monies deposited into the state education fund, including revenue that would otherwise be rebated under the TABOR rules, which the measure calls for diverting to the state education fund; would also require that state educational spending increase by rate of inflation plus 1% through fiscal year 2010-2011; and restricts spending of the state education fund to specific education expenses	Failed Yes: 45% No: 55%

Filed signatures but will not appear on 2008 ballot

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Status
CI	Amendment 53: Criminal Liability of Executives	Criminal Liability	Would establish criminal liability for executives of businesses found guilty of criminal conduct	Pulled from ballot by sponsors
CICA	Amendment 55: Just Cause	Employee Relations	Would establish just cause for employee discharge or suspension	Pulled from ballot by sponsors
CICA	Amendment 56: Health Insurance Initiative	Health Insurance	Would require every employer that employs 20+ employees in Colorado to provide major medical health care coverage for its employees and their dependents. Would also set up a health insurance authority to administer the program	Pulled from ballot by sponsors
CI	Amendment 57: Safe Workplace Initiative	Workplace Conditions	Would require employers to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for their employees	Pulled from ballot by sponsors
CICA	Initiative 82: Colorado Discrimination/Preferential Treatment Initiative (2008)	Affirmative action	Would prohibit the state from discriminating against or granting preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting, while preserving the state's authority to take actions consistent with eligibility for federal funding or to fulfill obligations in civil rights case orders	Signatures filed but determined to be insufficient number valid