Where The League Stands - Initiatives - League of Women Voters of Colorado

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2025 BALLOT MEASURES

The LWVCO Action & Advocacy Team has taken a close look at this year’s statewide ballot measures through careful study and consensus.

On this page, you’ll find the League’s position and stance, along with a summary, background, fiscal notes, the rationale behind our stance, and additional resources to help you fully understand the issue at hand.

THESE INCLUDE:

Summaries and background information
Fiscal notes to understand potential impacts
The 2025 “Where the League Stands” Quick Reference Guide

Together, these tools are designed to support informed voter participation across Colorado.

WHAT IS THE LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE (LAC)?

The Legislative Action Committee is LWVCO's citizen lobbyist corps.
They monitor ballot issues year-round, both those referred by the General Assembly and citizen-led initiatives, to help voters stay informed and keep up to date on where the League stands.

This group of nearly 40 dedicated members provides research and in-depth analysis to help voters look beyond pro and con arguments and gain a deeper understanding of what passage of a ballot issue will mean for our state and our communities.

2025 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

LWVCO Action and Advocacy Team has provided this Where the League Stands Quick Reference Guide on the statewide ballot measures to promote informed voter participation. The League has studied both sides of a wide range of policy issues over its over 105-year history.

The Legislative Action Committee is comprised of lobbyists, scholars, and members who meticulously examine each proposed measure, ensuring they are aligned with both LWVCO and LWVUS public policy issues.

DOWNLOAD THE QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE - ENGLISH
DOWNLOAD THE QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE - SPANISH

ISSUES ARE EITHER:

A REFERENDUM
A proposal by the Legislature which is referred to citizens for a vote.

AN INITIATIVE
A proposal by citizens who have gathered the required number of signatures.

Once a Referendum or Initiative meets the requirement to be placed on the ballot, it is then referred to as either an:

AMENDMENT (a change to the state Constitution) or
PROPOSITION (a change to a state statute)

INITIATIVES

THINK BEFORE YOU INK!
LWVCO Asks Members To Sign These Petitions
SUPPORT - Initiative #95 (2025-26): Graduated Income Tax Initiative

This measure institutes a graduated income tax. The 97% of Colorado taxpayers making less than $500,000 would receive a tax cut; only those at the very top will pay more. See table of effects below.*

The additional revenue raised would be voter-approved, and exempt from the TABOR spending cap. Revenue would go toward K-12, health care, and early child care and education.

LWVCO Asks Members NOT To Sign These Petitions

OPPOSE - Initiative #283 (2025-26): Repeal Constitutional Right to Abortion
This initiative would repeal the constitutional right to an abortion in Colorado that was approved by the voters in 2024 with the passage of Amendment 79.

OPPOSE - Initiative #234 (2025-26): Plain Language Ballot Questions
This initiative would amend the Colorado Constitution to require that all ballot questions be written in plain language at no more than an eighth-grade reading level notwithstanding any statute mandating language preceding, following, or in a ballot title of an initiative.

OPPOSE - Initiative #283 (2025-26): Constitutional Right to Abortion
This initiative would repeal the constitutional right to an abortion in Colorado that was approved by the voters in 2024 with the passage of Amendment 79.

OPPOSE - Initiatives #287 (2025-26): Colorado Citizenship, #289: Immigration to Colorado, #290 - Replacing United States in Colorado Laws and Constitution, #291 - Tax and Spending Adjustments to Replace Federal Funds, #292 - Colorado Participation in Foreign Affairs, #294 - Colorado Seizure of Federal Property, #296 - Replacing United States in Colorado Constitution, #297 Replacing United States of American in Colorado Constitution, #298 - Replacing federal in Colorado Laws and Constitution, #299 - Colorado Militia, #300 - Colorado Oaths of Office and Constitutional Conventions, #301 - Peoples Right of Self Governance
Special note: The Legislative Action Committee Leadership Team is covering Initiatives 287, 288, 289, 290, 291, 292, 294, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300, and 301 in the same summary because the analysis of them is the same for all of them.

What the initiatives do:

Initiative #287 establishes Colorado as an independent nation and the Colorado Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
Initiative #288 provides requirements for becoming a citizen of Colorado;
Initiative #289 concerns immigration to Colorado and visas.
Initiative #290 replaces the words “United States” with “Colorado” in the Colorado Constitution and replaces the words “United States” with “Colorado” in Colorado statutes passed before this act.
Initiative #291 places anything the United States spent money on or provided for on January 19, 2025, under the control of Colorado.
Initiative #292 allows Colorado to make treaties with other countries and appoint ambassadors.
Initiative #294 provides that Colorado will seize all federal property in Colorado.
Initiative #296 replaces “the United States” with “Colorado” in Colorado’s Constitution and laws except for laws passed after this measure is enacted.
Initiative #297 replaces “United States of America” with “State of Colorado” in Colorado’s Constitution and statutes except for laws passed after this measure’s enactment.
Initiative #298 replaces “federal” with “Colorado” in Colorado’s Constitution and laws except for laws passed after this measure’s enactment.
Initiative #299 provides that the Governor is the commander in chief of the Colorado militia, even when it is called into the service of the United States.
Initiative #300 provides that members of the general assembly, civil officers, and members of a constitutional convention shall take an oath to abide by the Colorado Constitution, instead of the United States Constitution.
Initiative #301 allows the constitution and form of government established by Coloradans to be repugnant to the United States Constitution.

OPPOSE - Initiative #308 and 309 (2025-26): Designate Sporting Goods Sales Tax
Special note: The Revenue Group is covering Initiatives 308 and 309 in the same summary because the two Initiatives are identical except for the percentages of allocations to each fund.

Initiatives 308 and 309 both call for the transfer of sales tax collected on the sales by certain sporting goods stores of certain types of sporting goods from the General Fund to very specific funds. The dollar amounts that will be transferred will be determined from ratios of Sales in selected product codes from the North American Product Code system and the North American Industry Code System. The differences between the two initiatives are in the percentage allocation of the allocation of the monies collected to each receiving fund:

OPPOSE - Initiative #362 (2025-26): Mail Ballot Voter Identification
This initiative would amend the Colorado Constitution to require voters to sign and include the last four digits of their social security number or their Colorado driver’s license or identification card number on the outside of their mail ballot for any federal or state election. It would also allow voters to correct missing or incorrect information, including with alternative forms of identification. Finally, it would prohibit a county clerk and recorder from counting the mail ballot unless the problem is fixed.

OPPOSE - Initiative #232 (2025-26): Income Tax Rate
The initiative would fix the maximum Colorado Income Tax rate at 4.4% for both Corporate and Individual Income Tax.

OPPOSE - Initiative #249 (2025-26):Separation of Pinnacol Assurance from the State to Fund Workforce Development
Pinnacol Assurance is a state-owned entity that provides workman’s compensation to entities in the State of Colorado. It is often viewed as an insurance company of last resort. This initiative proposes that Pinnacol be spun off as a private entity. The State will receive $ 150 million for this asset. The $ 150 million will be used to fund education for the trades, nurses, firefighters etc.

This proposed use of funds to provide education for the trades, nurses and firefighters hides the real purpose of the initiative. The real purpose of the initiative is to privatize Workmen’s Compensation.

The initiative calls for the Legislature to create an entity that will become an insurer of last resort.

Currently Pinnacol employees are eligible for PERA benefits. The employees will cease to be eligible for PERA if this initiative is approved by the voters.

OPPOSE - Initiative #175 (2025-26): State Revenue Collected to Support Road Transportation
The initiative would amend the state constitution to divert revenue from the General Fund to state and local governments for roads and bridges plus for Colorado State Patrol. In particular, it diverts sales and use tax or excise taxes or fees on motor vehicles and motor vehicle fuel, plus ⅔ of state sales taxes on motor vehicle parts, equipment, materials and accessories.

OPPOSE - Initiative #177 (2025-26): Right to Natural Gas
The initiative creates a right to purchase natural gas for cooking and heating in homes and businesses in Colorado and gives distributors and utilities the right to sell natural gas for homes and businesses in Colorado.

LWVCO takes NO POSITION on These Petitions
NO POSITION - Initiative #241 (2025-26): Congressional Redistricting Initiative, #241 - Congressional Redistricting, #242 - Congressional Redistricting, #251 - Congressional Redistricting
What the initiatives do:

Initiative #240—adds a section to the constitution which temporarily overrides the current redistricting process for the congressional elections of 2028 and 2030. For those elections, the constitution would point to a new statute that establishes a new map of congressional districts. In 2031, and every 10 years afterward, redistricting would return to the independent redistricting commission process in the constitution.
Initiative #241—repeals the independent commission redistricting process from the constitution, and it then adds the independent process to statute. Contingent on #242 passing.
Initiative #242—proposes a new map in statute, to be used for the congressional elections of 2028 and 2030. After the 2030 decennial census, the independent redistricting commission process (which would now in statute, instead of constitution), would be used going forward. Contingent on #241 passing.
Initiative #251—adds wording to the constitution that: No final plan may be modified for the 2028 congressional election or thereafter unless approved by the redistricting commission and the Colorado Supreme CourtWhen reviewing any plan outside the redistricting year, the commission must hold at least 3 public meetingsOutside the redistricting year, no map may be approved that fails to reasonably preserve whole communities of interest, OR that has been drawn purposefully to favor one political party or to minimize politically competitive districts

DOWNLOAD INITIATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS HERE

H A V E Y O U E V E R W O N D E R E D . . .
How the League Takes a Stance?

LWVCO: Programs of Study and Action
LWVUS: IMPACT ON ISSUES

These two publications are designed to help League members use LWVUS and LWVCO public policy positions effectively at the state and local levels.

NOTE: For information on how to take action that the League supports or opposes, please visit our Take Action page.

LWVCO 2025 Positions for Action
LWVUS 2024-2026 Impact on Issues

LWVCO POSITIONS

MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK

Voting Methods

Support authorizing and implementing alternatives to plurality voting that allow people to express their preference more effectively.

Redistricting

Support of measures to establish an agency other than the General Assembly to redistrict the Colorado General Assembly and the Colorado Congressional Districts. Support of redrawing the districts of both houses of the state legislature and the Colorado U.S. congressional districts based on specific criteria.

For further resources and redistricting activities, visit the University of Colorado Colorado Springs GeoCivics department.

Amending the Colorado Constitution
Support for clarity of language and suitability of topic and detail in proposed constitutional amendments.

Campaign Finance

Improve methods of financing political campaigns in order to ensure the public’s right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office, and promote citizen participation in the political process.

Election Security
Elections should be structured to provide transparent, verifiable, convincing evidence that the reported outcomes reflect how people voted (evidence-based elections).

All eligible voters should be able to vote privately and independently, with strong ballot protections and overall election security, including, where needed, electronic blank ballot delivery to voters, mailing paper ballots to uninformed and absentee overseas voters (UOCAVA) 45 days in advance, providing accessible ballot marking equipment.

Amending the Colorado Constitution

Support for clarity of language and suitability of topic and detail in proposed constitutional amendments.

Fiscal Policy

Support adequate and flexible funding of state government programs through an equitable tax system that is progressive and which incorporates social, environmental and economic goals. Oppose earmarking of funds and sales tax on food.

General Assembly

Support responsive legislative processes characterized by accountability, representativeness, decision making capability and effective performance. Promote a dynamic balance of power between the executive and legislative branches within the framework set by the Constitution.

Individual Liberties

Support for the individual liberties guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

Initiative Process

Support for more stringent requirements for the passage of constitutional amendments than for initiated statutes and protection from legislative change for initiated statutes for a minimum of two years.

Justice System

Support of non-partisan selection of judges on an appointive-retentive basis; measures which facilitate efficient administration of justice rather than incarceration for nonviolent offenders; sentencing measures that protect the community, compensate victims and the community for the crimes of adult offenders, rehabilitate offenders, and emphasize the use of community-based sanctions. LWVUS position: Support abolition of the death penalty.

Juvenile Justice

Support of a juvenile justice system that has as its primary purpose the rehabilitation, safety and well being of the offender. Support of a system that promotes the juvenile’s understanding of the harm done and his/her responsibility to make amends to the victim and the community, emphasizes alternatives to detention or commitment, and promotes the protection of the community and the juvenile’s successful reentry into the community.

Local Government

Local governments should be accountable, responsive, flexible, efficient, effective, able to raise sufficient revenues to perform their duties, and have adequate constitutional and statutory powers to cope effectively.

National Popular Vote
The League of Women Voters of Colorado supports the direct popular vote method for electing the president and vice-president.

News Access & Literacy for Civic Participation
We support the following goals as being essential to a healthy democracy: barrier-free access to credible news, in whatever format it is published; control of news content remaining exclusively with news organizations, regardless of the form of support given; and media literacy throughout the community as a whole.

Religious Freedom
The League of Women Voters of Colorado stands for the separation of church and state and religious freedom founded upon individual conscience, free of social or political influence by any state or religious body; these fundamental civil rights are threatened by religious nationalism.

The First Amendment of the US Constitution reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The League of Women Voters of Colorado believes that the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment are cornerstones of our democracy.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Air Quality

Promote measures to reduce pollution from mobile and stationary sources.

Energy

Support environmentally sound policies that reduce energy growth rates, emphasize energy conservation and encourage the use of renewable resources.

Environmental Planning and Management (Includes Hydraulic Fracturing)

Support of measures to improve the coordination, effectiveness and efficiency of governmental units within the state of Colorado and measures which promote integrated planning for environmental management, wise use of Colorado’s natural resources, comprehensive statewide planning for land use, and a balanced transportation system. Support policies that enhance public participation in the permitting and monitoring of oil and gas operations in the state.

Hazardous Materials

Support for adequate safeguards in the production, transportation, use, treatment, disposal and storage of hazardous and radioactive materials.

Land Use

LWVCO supports responsible land use planning by all levels of government. LWVCO supports the creation of regional boards and commissions to address regional concerns.

Waste Management

Promote policies to reduce the generation and promote the reuse and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes.

Water

Support of measures that promote the wise and balanced use of water in Colorado.

SOCIAL POLICY

Child Care

Support state licensing and continued oversight by an adequate number of trained staff, and ensure availability of affordable quality child care to all children who need it.

Children's Support Systems

Support measures to encourage public responsibility for the protection, care and training of children, recognizing the primary importance of parental responsibility.

Education

Support of a pre-K through 12 public education system in which a balanced curriculum of humanities, arts and sciences leads to life-long learning for all students. Support of a stronger leadership role for the Colorado Department of Education to promote educational improvements and standards for early childhood education.

School Finance (Pre-K-12)

Support for a state finance system that would equalize opportunity and relieve the property tax.

Equality of Opportunity

Support of equality of opportunity for education, employment and housing for all persons in the United States regardless of their race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability.

Gun Safety

Protect the health and safety of citizens through limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Support regulation of firearms for consumer safety.

Health Care

Support access to adequate health care with funding by state and federal monies where necessary. LWVCO supports access to affordable, quality in- and out-patient behavioral health care, including needed medications and supportive services, for all people. LWVCO supports access to behavioral health care that is integrated with, and achieves parity with, physical health care. (NOTE: LWVUS adopted the LWVCO Behavioral Health position in 2016.)

Higher Education

Higher education is a primary educational, research, cultural and economic force in Colorado. The State of Colorado has a responsibility to support its public institutions of higher education and to assist the people of Colorado in attaining a postsecondary education.

Housing

Support policies to provide a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.

Human Trafficking

Oppose all forms of domestic and international human trafficking of adults and children, including sex trafficking and labor trafficking.

Immigration

Promote reunification of immediate families; meet the economic, business and employment needs of the United States; be responsive to those facing political persecution or humanitarian crises; and provide for student visas.

Income Assistance

Support income assistance programs, based on need, that provide decent, adequate standards for food, clothing and shelter.

Reproductive Choice

Protect the constitutional right of privacy of the individual to make reproductive choices.

Transportation

Support for a state Department of Transportation to plan and coordinate all transportation modes in order to provide a balanced transportation system in Colorado which gives consideration to the needs of regional, county and local governments. Funding for transportation should come from federal, state and local sources.

ISSUES ARE EITHER:

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