New initiative stumps around the state to take public’s pulse

Jun 13, 2012

Charlie Brennan / EdNews Colorado

Education and state constitutional issues are emerging as the top two areas of concern for those participating in the TBD Colorado initiative launched earlier this year by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The first wave of multi-regional citizen summits for TBD Colorado—TBD stands for To Be Determined—was held in three locations around the state late last week, and some issues are rising to the top.

”For anybody who has been paying attention, those two (education and the constitution) have been intertwined for some time,” said participant Dave Dill of Pueblo.

He noted, “The amount of funds that the state has, that it can allocate to something, was greatly reduced by” such provisions as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which limits state and local revenues, and the Gallagher Amendment, which lays out rules for property taxes. The two are widely considered to create conflicts that restrict state government in budgeting.

People who participated in recent TBD meetings across the state were offered a menu of six broad issues and were asked to select which two Colorado should focus on in the next two years. Those issues are education, health, state budget, state workforce, transportation and the constitution. …read full story by EdNews Colorado

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Tags: Gallagher Amendment, Governor John Hickenlooper, Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, TBD Colorado