Health of Democracy

By Shepard Nevel
Guest commentary

The resounding defeat of the fiscally destructive ballot measures, Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101, is the latest, but not final, round in a critically important debate about Colorado's future.

Profound budget issues remain, as further cuts in critical services such as health care, education and transportation loom with a projected $1.1 billion state deficit in 2011.

Colorado voters may be angry, but they aren't crazy.

On Tuesday, Coloradans loudly rejected one vision for our future – the vision of an ineffectual public sector starved for resources peddled by Douglas Bruce and other proponents of Amendments 60 and 61 and Proposition 101.

We've written frequently about "The Bad Three" – Amendments 60, 61 and Proposition 101.

But don't forget about the The Other Bad Three on this year's ballot – Amendments 62, 63 and Proposition 102. These measures also are confusing and conflicting, narrow and partisan and deceptive and cynical.

Amendment 62, the "personhood" amendment, would amend the state constitution to extend rights "to every human being from the beginning of biological development."

Click on the pdf link for our two-page ballot guide

Proposition 102, a ballot initiative designed to limit pretrial services programs for defendants, will come before Colorado voters on Nov. 2.

If passed, many low-income defendants will be denied release on an unsecured bond, leaving them with no option besides awaiting trial in jail. This would unnecessarily drive up costs and crowd local jails with defendants -- many of whom will not even be sentenced to jail if convicted.

The Bell's staff prepared a detailed wrap-up of the 2010 legislative session. It is contained in a special edition of The Opportunity News. Click on link to pdf.

Rich Jones, director of policy and research at the Bell, and Senior Policy Analyst Frank Waterous offered testimony today on three bills important to the Bell.

Jones testified on two bills that concern Colorado's most important legal document – our state constitution. One bill would ask voters to create a constitutional review commission, and the other would ask voters to reform the process by which citizens initiate constitutional amendments.

SCR 10-003: Changing the Citizen Initiative Process
to Amend the Constitution

Rich Jones
Director of Policy and Research, The Bell Policy Center
April 28, 2010

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.

SCR 10-001: Concerning Creating
a Constitutional Revision Commission

Rich Jones
Director of policy and research, The Bell Policy Center
April 28, 2010

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you today.

House Bill 10-1119: Concerning the process
by which the state annually allocates moneys for its budget

(State Measurements for Accountable, Responsive and Transparent
(SMART) Government Act)

Rich Jones
Director of policy and research, The Bell Policy Center

April 13, 2010

Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony in support of HB10-1119.