Colorado 2008 ballot measures
From Ballotpedia
Contents |
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.)[1] [2] [3]
In 1912 Coloradons voted on 22 ballot measures. The closest any subsequent election year has come to that is in 2008 and 1972. Fourteen measures were on the ballot in both 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 November 2008 ballot
| Type | Title | Subject | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LRCA | Referendum L | Elections | Lower the age of a candidate for the Colorado House and Senate from 25 to 21 | |
| LRCA | Referendum M | Admin of gov't | Eliminate obsolete provisions in the constitution about land value increases | |
| LRCA | Referendum N | Admin of gov't | Eliminate obsolete provisions in the constitution about intoxicating liquor | |
| LRCA | Referendum O | Initiative rights | Change signature requirements for qualifying an initiated constitutional amendment for the ballot | |
| CICA | Amendment 46 | Affirmative action | State and local government agencies prohibited from affirmative action | |
| CICA | Amendment 47 | Labor and unions | Union contracts under which employees are required to pay union dues as condition of continued employment prohibited | |
| CICA | Amendment 48 | Abortion | Change the definition of 'person' in the Colorado Constitution to include any fertilized egg, embryo or fetus | |
| CICA | Amendment 49 | Paycheck protection | Bar automatic union dues deductions from public employee payrolls | |
| CICA | Amendment 50 | Gambling | Allow municipalities to extend hours of limited gaming operations, increase maximum bet | |
| CICA | Amendment 51 | Taxes | Increase state sales tax to fund services for developmentally disabled | |
| CICA | Amendment 52 | Taxes | Increase severance tax, create the Colorado Transportation Trust Fund | |
| CICA | Amendment 54 | Campaign finance | Close a remaining loophole in Colorado election law by banning the practice of "Pay to Play" | |
| CISS | Amendment 58 | Taxes | Eliminate tax credit for property taxes paid for payers of the severance tax | |
| CICA | Amendment 59 | State spending | Create state education fund savings account | |
Not on 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: Criminal Liability of Executives | Law enforcement | Criminal liability for executives of businesses found guilty of criminal conduct | Pulled from ballot by sponsors |
| CICA | Amendment 55: Just Cause | Labor | Just cause for employee discharge or suspension | Pulled from ballot by sponsors |
| CICA | Amendment 56: Health Insurance Initiative | Health care | Every employer that employs 20+ employees in Colorado to provide major medical health care coverage for its employees | Pulled from ballot by sponsors |
| CI | Amendment 57: Safe Workplace Initiative | Labor | 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 deemed insufficient |
For information on other citizen initiatives that attempted but failed to make the ballot, see Colorado 2008 citizen initiatives.
See also
- List of Colorado ballot measures
- Procedures for qualifying an initiative in Colorado
- Laws governing the initiative process in Colorado
- History of Initiative & Referendum in Colorado
- Petition drive deadlines in 2008
- 2008 ballot title challenges
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
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
- 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
References
- ↑ Denver Channel 7 News: "Labor Unions To Pull Ballot Measures," Oct. 2, 2008
- ↑ Wall Street Journal: "Executives Pledge Funds as Unions Drop Colorado Initiatives," Oct. 3, 2008
- ↑ Denver Post: "Deal reached to pull 4 union ballot measures," Oct. 2, 2008
| |||||
| |||||

