Colorado voters will decide this fall if candidates for office should have more flexibility to raise money when they are competing against self-funded opponents.

Secretary of State Wayne Williams said Tuesday that Initiative 173 has qualified for the ballot. Under the initiative, if a candidate gives or loans their campaign more than $1 million, opponents in the race can accept contributions that are five times greater than the current limits in state law.

The measure qualified with a projected 136,326 valid signatures, Williams’ office said — well above the 98,492 needed to secure a place on the ballot.

The approval of the initiative rounds out the ballot measures Coloradans will decide in November. The 13 ballot initiatives, if passed, would have lasting impact on multiple fronts.

Here’s what else will be on the ballot:

Oil and gas setbacks: One of the most contentious and closely watched ballot measures would increase the setbacks for new oil and gas wells. The measure, Initiative 97, would put in place mandatory minimum 2,500-foot setbacks between homes and schools and future oil and gas development. That would be an increase from current limits of 500 feet for homes and 1,000 feet for schools. Supporters say the increased setbacks are needed for health and safety of Coloradans. The oil and gas industry says the measure would hurt the economy and reduce jobs in Colorado.

Denver Post Voter Guide

Read all of The Denver Post’s election coverage — including stories, endorsements and candidate Q&As — in our 2018 Voter Guide.



Property rights: Under proposed Amendment 108, private property owners would be entitled to “just compensation” when government laws and regulations lead to a drop in a property’s fair market value. The proposed state constitutional amendment is widely viewed as a counter-measure to the oil and gas well setback ballot measure, which would reduce the amount of private property that can be used for lucrative drilling. However, Amendment 108 would apply to all government actions, not just those tied to oil and gas development.

Transportation improvements: Initiative 153 would increase the state’s sales-and-use tax from 2.9 percent to 3.52 percent for a 20-year-period, starting in 2019. The sales tax increase would allow the state to issue up to $6 billion in bonds for transportation projects. It would cost consumers an additional 62 cents in taxes on a $100 purchase.

Transportation improvements, take two: A second transportation proposal, dubbed “Fix Our Damn Roads,” would force the state to take out $3.5 billion in bonds for road projects without increasing taxes to repay the money. In theory, it’s possible that voters could pass both ballot measures.

Money for education: Coloradans will decide if taxes should be increased on upper-income residents to generate an additional $1.6 billion for public education. The measure would create the Quality Public Education Fund in the state constitution, and the money would go toward preschool through high school programs. The increase in the individual income tax rate would mean an additional 0.37 percent to 3.62 percent. The rate would be on a sliding scale based on income, with those earning $150,000 or less seeing no change in their state income tax bill.

Payday loan rates: Voters will decide if tighter limits are needed for the interest rates that payday lenders can charge borrowers. The measure, called Initiative 126, would limit the finance charges on payday loans to a maximum annual rate of 36 percent. It also eliminates finance charges and fees. Currently, interest and fees can bring the cost of payday loans up to 129 percent annually, according to the fiscal impact statement.

Not all the ballot measures came from voters. State lawmakers are sending six proposed constitutional amendments to voters for a decision. Here’s a look:

Candidate ages: Aspiring politicians may become eligible to run for state legislative office four years sooner. Amendment V would lower the minimum age for state representatives and state senators to 21 years old. Right now, you have to be at least 25.

Hemp: Industrial hemp’s definition would be removed from the state constitution. The change, called Amendment X, would enable state legislators to respond more quickly to changes made at the federal level for industrial hemp growers. A definition for industrial hemp was added to the Colorado Constitution when voters approved Amendment 64, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2012. Hemp is part of the cannabis family, but is used for products such as clothes and rope.

Redistricting changes: Amendments Y and Z would change how redistricting is done in Colorado after the 2020 Census, shifting line-drawing duty away from legislators and to two separate independent commissions. Amendment Y would put in place a 12-member commission to draw the maps for congressional districts. It would have four Republicans, four Democrats and four unaffiliated members. Amendment Z would put a similar commission in place for legislative redistricting. Redistricting is the redrawing of boundaries for congressional and legislative districts every decade after the census to reflect population changes.

Slavery language removed: Amendment A would remove outdated language that allows slavery and involuntary servitude to be punishments for criminal conviction. The state constitution already prohibits slavery, except as a punishment for crime. This would clarify that slavery and involuntary servitude aren’t allowed in any circumstances.

Redesigned ballots: The ballot may face a cosmetic redesign for the section listing judges who are up for retention. Amendment W would change the ballot so that the court of each judge or Supreme Court justice would no longer need to be listed with their name in the retention question. Instead, the court would be listed above a list of the judges’ names. Each judge still gets a separate vote.