Colorado 2008 ballot measures

2010 →

← 2006

Fourteen statewide ballot propositions were on the November 2008 ballot in Colorado.

• Eight of the measures were initiated constitutional amendments.
• Two of the measures were initiated state statutes.
• Four of the measures were legislatively referred constitutional amendments.
• Four of the measures were approved and ten were defeated.

Colorado was slated to have 18 measures on the November 2008 ballot but just hours before the October 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 were already being printed, the measures appeared on the ballot, but the withdrawal resulted in no votes for those measures being counted.)

In 1912 Coloradons voted on 22 ballot measures. The closest any subsequent election year has come to that is in 2008, 2006 and 1972. Fourteen measures were on the ballot in each of those years.

• With 10 initiatives on the 2008 ballot, the historical total of Colorado citizen initiatives increased to 206 since the beginning of the process in 1912. Of those, 72 have been approved by voters, and 134 have been defeated.

• See Colorado 2008 citizen initiatives for a list of Colorado initiatives that did not make the 2008 ballot.

On the ballot

November 4

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	Initiative 46	Affirm action	Prohibits state and local government agencies from discriminatory and preferential treatment	d
CICA	Initiative 47	Labor	Bans union contracts under which membership and dues are required	d
CICA	Initiative 48	Abortion	Defines of 'person' to include any fertilized egg, embryo or fetus	d
CICA	Initiative 49	Paycheck	Bars payroll deductions to benefit private organizations	d
CICA	Initiative 50	Gambling	Allows certain municipalities to extend hours of limited gaming operations, increase maximum bet	a
CISS	Initiative 51	Taxes	Increases state sales tax to fund services for developmentally disabled	d
CICA	Initiative 52	Taxes	Increases severance tax, creates the Colorado Transportation Trust Fund	d
CICA	Initiative 54	Elections	Closes a remaining loophole in Colorado election law by banning the practice of "Pay to Play"	a
CISS	Initiative 58	Taxes	Eliminates tax credit for property taxes paid for payers of the severance tax	d
CICA	Initiative 59	Taxes	Creates state education fund savings account	d
LRCA	Referendum L	Elections	Lowers the age of a candidate for the Colorado House and Senate from 25 to 21	d
LRCA	Referendum M	Constitutions	Eliminates obsolete provisions in the constitution about land value increases	a
LRCA	Referendum N	Constitutions	Eliminates obsolete provisions in the constitution about intoxicating liquor	a
LRCA	Referendum O	Direct democracy	Changes signature requirements for qualifying an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot	d

Not on the ballot

The measures in this list filed signatures, but were not on the 2008 ballot for a variety of reasons.

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CI	Amendment 53	Law enforcement	Criminal liability for executives of businesses found guilty of criminal conduct
CICA	Amendment 55	Labor	Just cause for employee discharge or suspension
CICA	Amendment 56	Healthcare	Every employer that employs 20+ employees to provide major medical health care for employees.
CI	Amendment 57	Labor	Employers to maintain a safe and healthy workplace for their employees
CICA	Initiative 82	Affirmative action	Would prohibit the state from discriminating against any individual.

See also

• List of Colorado ballot measures
• 2008 ballot measures
• History of Initiative & Referendum in Colorado

External links

• 2008 State Ballot Information Booklet, English version (Blue Book)
• 2008 State Ballot Information Booklet, Spanish version (Blue Book)
• Initiatives submitted for review and comment
• FaceTheState.com: The 11 initiatives still seeking your support
• Ad targets backers of anti-union measures
• Colorado Ballot Amendment Reference
• Colorado 2008 Sample Ballot

Additional reading

• Spending a hard sell with voters
• Rocky Mountain News: Editorial: "Ballot deal wasn't a bribe," Oct. 5, 2008
• Denver Post: Opinion: "Fast forward through the attack ads, dear friends," Sept. 13, 2008
• Denver Post: "Checking signatures takes eyes for detail," Aug. 27, 2008
• Wall Street Journal: Will Colorado Ballot Measure on Race Hurt Obama?," Aug. 10, 2008
• Ballot initiatives could set record
• Campaigns submit petitions at the 11th hour
• More business measures awaiting Colorado ballot
• Colorado petitions filed to end oil, gas tax break (dead link)
• Ritter energized about removing oil, gas tax break
• Lengthy ballot awaits Colorado voters
• Petitioners get measures in just before deadline
• Crowded ballot: Initiative inflation could set record
• 329,000 signatures for two union measures
• 18 initiative campaigns bunker down for general election season
• New site created - Colorado Ballot Initiatives Reference