Protecting School Choice Builds Momentum

Protecting School Choice in the Colorado Constitution has built momentum throughout the summer!

Amendment 80 would protect Coloradans’ current options to choose among neighborhood schools, charter schools, homeschooling or private schools. It also safeguards open enrollment that allows families to choose a different public school that meets their child's needs.

Kristi Burton Brown, Advance Colorado Action Executive Vice President, made the case at a recent televised forum on the issue, stressing school choice rights are under siege annually at the state Capitol.

To watch the Denver Decides debate, click HERE

Amendment 80 had earned support from editorial boards, and radio hosts, from across the state. Click HERE to read the endorsement from The Gazette.

Ready Colorado President and CEO Dr. Brenda Dickhoner detailed the statewide threats to school choice -- and why protecting those rights is urgently needed -- in an opinion piece for The Colorado Sun. Click HERE to read more.

Kristi Burton Brown and El Paso County Commissioner Carrie Geithner authored this piece on the importance of Amendment 80 for for homeschoolers. Click HERE to read more.

To read Advance Colorado's summary of Amendment 80 click HERE.

New Advance Colorado Report Features Voices Supporting School Choice

Demonstrating the long-standing, bipartisan support for school choice in Colorado, a new Advance Colorado report presents a wide range of voices – from grassroots parents to current and former legislators and governors – who share their personal perspective on why educational freedom matters.

The report, Unique Needs, Unique Solutions: Celebrating School Choice in Colorado is a 24-page compendium of compelling quotes from Coloradans committed to school choice rights – many of whom share its direct educational benefits to their families.
“In this report, you’ll meet parents from across the state who enjoy their right to school choice in Colorado,” the report states. “You’ll hear from elected officials who celebrate the impact of school choice and plan to keep it strong. And you’ll see statistics demonstrating the power of school choice for families who exercise their options to help their children grow learn and succeed.”

The report also includes a wide range of statistics and polling data illustrating the positive outcomes, and popularity of school choice across the state – particularly showing the benefits of Colorado’s charter schools. Measures that cut property taxes, protect school choice rights and keep violent criminals in jail earned a total of nearly 600,000 voter signatures to ensure they appear on the November ballot.

Click HERE to read the full report.

Public Safety Leaders Speak Out for Measures to Build a Safer Colorado

A groundswell of public safety leaders and organizations are speaking out in favor of two ballot initiatives – “Truth In Sentencing” and “Back The Blue” – that will help reduce Colorado’s high crime rate and make the state safer.

At a recent news conference outside the Colorado Supreme Court building, prominent Coloradans including current and former prosecutors, law enforcement leaders and state and local leaders spoke out in favor of the two measures.

“Increasing the safety of communities and families throughout Colorado requires no-nonsense laws to keep violent criminals behind bars and ensure that law enforcement is well-trained and equipped to do the difficult, dangerous job we ask of them,” said John Suthers, former state Attorney General, U.S. Attorney and Mayor of Colorado Springs.

The two public safety ballot measures are:

Truth In Sentencing (Proposition 128) which would require the state’s most violent criminals to serve 85 percent of their sentences before being eligible for parole. Upon a third offense, inmates would be required to serve 100 percent of their sentences. Violent criminals today serve an average of 46 percent of their sentences.

Back The Blue (Proposition 130) which would require the state to invest funds already collected from taxpayers – without any new taxes – to enhance the recruiting, training, retention and compensation of law enforcement and peace officers across Colorado. It would also provide a $1 million death benefit to the surviving family members of first responders killed in the line of duty.

“Colorado has one of the highest rates of repeat offenders in the nation, and a key reason is that violent criminals serve less than half their sentences on average,” said John Kellner, District Attorney for the 18^th Judicial District. “By requiring that these violent offenders serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentence, the Truth In Sentencing initiative is a common-sense solution to protecting communities throughout Colorado.”

Among the bipartisan groups backing one or both measures are the Colorado District Attorneys’ Council, County Sheriffs of Colorado, Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police, Colorado Jail Association, Colorado Fraternal Order of Police and the Denver Police Protection Association,

HERE are Advance Colorado's Summary of Truth In Sentencing and Back The Blue.

Advance Colorado's Successful Fight

To Cut & Cap Property Taxes

Advance Colorado capped a two-year battle to solve Colorado's local property tax crisis by scoring a major win for taxpayers during a special session of the Colorado Legislature.

The new law, spearheaded by Advance Colorado and Colorado Concern:

Cuts the effective residential property tax rate to 6.3 or 6.4 percent depending on assessment growth;
Cuts the commercial property tax rate to 25 percent;
Implements a property tax cap of 5.25 percent for local governments and 6 percent or inflation growth (whichever is greater) for school districts.
Ensure a clear and non-biased ballot language in the required vote of the people to opt out of the local cap.

“This is a huge win for Colorado taxpayers who have been hit with 30 percent average property tax increases,” said Advance Colorado President Michael Fields. “For two years, we have said the solution taxpayers need is to cut taxes significantly and then put a cap in place so Colorado can avoid this crisis in the future. This new law gets that job done.”

Advance Colorado's successful efforts to secure major tax cut legislation in a state dominated by progressive politicians drew effort drew national media attention, including from The Wall Street Journal.

HERE is a montage of television coverage of the special session.

HERE is a detailed article authored by Michael Fields on the property tax cut and cap victory.

Listen to Our Latest Podcast!

In our latest Advance Colorado Rundown, Dr. Brenda Dickhoner, President and CEO of Ready Colorado joins Advance Colorado Vice President Sean Duffy to discuss the importance of placing school choice in the state constitution -- and the wide ranging threats to school choice rights that make this necessary.

Listen Now

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