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This page was last updated: November 27, 2013
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Business, Employment & the Workplace
>> 401K PLANS AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT—Should workers be automatically enrolled in 401K plans by employers?

>> BUSINESS DISCONNECT WITH COMMUNITY COLLEGES--Employer needs and community college training and education collaboration, and communication between these two sectors, are in great need of improvement. (1)

>> COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TRANSPARENCY FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES--Should union negotiations for public employees such as fire, police, and teachers be fully disclosed to the public? (1)

>> L3C CORPORATE STRUCTURE SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN COLORADO--Legislation is anticipated to follow other states in allowing the modification of the LLC to a L3C for-profit corporate structure whose primary benefit is social benefit. [1]

>> MINIMUM WAGE LAWS AN OVER-REGULATION? Is Colorado's minimum wage law enactment harmful to the economy? Should Colorado's minimum wage levels revert to the federal level? (1)

>> MOVIE-MAKING INCENTIVES A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TOOL?—Do state incentive programs for film-makers have a positive ripple effect for Colorado businesses and significantly benefit states economically? Should Colorado’s modest incentive program be ramped up to compete with other states? (1)

>> SALES OF BEER AND LIQUOR—Should liquor and full-strength beer sales be allowed in grocery and convenience stores, as in most states? The proposal has been defeated in the Colorado state legislature.

>> SICK LEAVE PAYMENTS A DRAIN ON STATE TAXPAYERS--State statistics show Colorado paid nearly $60 million to departing workers for unused leave and sick time over the past three years and could owe $367 million more to current employees, "choking the taxpayer." (2011). (1) (2)

>> TAX INCREASES—Colorado's state taxes for sales, alcohol, cigarettes, and gasoline are in the low to medium range nationally, leaving room, it can be argued, for increases. Are increases justified? Would such increases be fair and progressive, or unfairly regressive?

>> TAXES: BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX—Business personal property tax: should it be eliminated? ("Colorado's most hated tax" according to one newspaper.)

>> VOLUNTARY PENSION ACCOUNTS--Are they needed? (1)

>> WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION LAWS—Colorado is one of nine states that has not filled perceived holes in existing state workplace discrimination laws, and proponents are enlisting support for the Job Protection and Civil Rights Act of 2011. Workplace fairness measures were narrowly defeated in the Legislature. These measures would have increased penalties for employers found guilty of discrimination.

>> ZONING clashes and conflicts occur regarding such things as marijuana dispensaries, food-vendor trucks, rights of businesses’ proximity to schools. How can these issues be prevented and resolved?
Ballot (Constitutional Amendments) & Election Issues
>> ANTI-ABORTION PERSONHOOD AMENDMENT TO THE STATE CONSTITUTION - a push for a 2012 ballot measure would extend protection of life to "all human beings at any stage of development." [1]

>> CANDIDATE VETTING--In view of character controversies surrounding two recent Republican governor nominee frontrunners/candidate, should there have been a better vetting process in place, which would have weeded them out, preventing embarrassment to the party, and which could be a model for all parties and nomination processes? (1)

>> INITIATIVE PROCESS VALUE—Is frequent tampering with the State Constitution desirable? Should amending the State Constitution be made harder? On the other hand, are assaults by established interests and lawmakers on citizens' rights to the initiative process justified and a reason for alarm? (1)

>> JUDICIAL REFORM—Should there be a change how Colorado’s judges are appointed and how long they serve?

>> JUDICIAL REFORM—Should Supreme Court term limits be changed to two years?

>> MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION FOR RECREATIONAL USE—Should recreational use of marijuana be legalized to relieve an unnecessarily clogged criminal justice system in Colorado? Should there be assessments of the cost-benefit ratio of marijuana law enforcement and harmfulness of marijuana?

>> SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS FOR A BRIGHT COLORADO (INITIATIVE 25)--A 2011 campaign for placement on the ballot, this initiative would increase funding for the schools that serve Colorado’s communities. (1)

>> TAXES: BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX—Business personal property tax: should it be eliminated? ("Colorado's most hated tax" according to one newspaper.)

>> TAXES: INCOME TAX—Should the state income tax system be amended to a graduated, progressive system where taxpayers with higher incomes are taxed at higher rates than those with lower incomes?

>> TAXES: INCOME AND SALES TAX--Should state income and sales tax be raised
to support education? (1)

>> TAXES: INCOME AND SALES TAX INCREASE INITIATIVE, PROPOSITION 103-- will appear on the November 1, 2011 ballot in the state of Colorado as an initiated state statute. The measure would increase the state income and sales tax. Specifically, it would increase the state income tax to 5 percent and the sales tax to 3 percent. Currently, the income tax is 4.63 percent and the sales tax is 2.9 percent. >>>

>> TERM LITMITS--GOOD OR BAD IDEA? In 1990, Colorado started the term limits movement, but not everyone, especially the power elite, is pleased with those changes.   (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

>> VOTER REGISTRATION PRACTICES REFORM--"While Colorado has improved some voter registration practices — making it easier, not harder, for eligible voters to vote — state election laws and policies still present barriers to full voter participation. Particularly vexing is the state’s failure to conduct outreach in Spanish, despite its large Spanish-speaking population." (1)
Constitutionality
>> CHARTER SCHOOLS AUTHORIZERS—In the legal tug of war between school districts and charter school commissions for power and access to fund allocations, was the Colorado authorizer’s (Charter School Institute) 2009 constitutional court victory correct, especially in view of differing decisions in other states? (1)

>> SCHOOL VOUCHERS—CONSTITUTIONALITY OF FINANCIAL AID TO CHARTER SCHOOLS & STUDENTS ATTENDING PRIVATE SCHOOLS: Helping provide access to pervasively sectarian, religious schools and colleges with public funds in the form of student vouchers and financial aid and funding and tax credits to non-locally controlled schools has been hotly challenged in the Colorado courts, involving both the federal and state constitutions. (1) (2)

>> ANTI-IMMIGRATION LAWS—Can one argue that an "Arizona-style” anti-immigration law is unconstitutional? An Arizona-style anti-immigrant bill was withdrawn from the Colorado legislature in 2011 because of fears of costs of defending against legal attacks against the bill’s constitutionality.

>> FAST-TRACK DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROSECUTION—Is it unconstitutional? Does it compromise the integrity of the justice system and violate defendants' rights? (1)

>> GUN LAWS TOO RESTRICTIVE OF CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTIES? Are increased local bans on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines a harmful restriction of personal liberties or necessary anti-crime measures? Should there be full state preemption of local open-carry ordinances, repealing of gun-show regulations and mandated background checks for private sales, and deregulating airguns? (1)

>> PUBLIC SURVEILLANCE VS. PRIVACY RIGHTS—Denver's use of surveillance  cameras to fight crime has come under attack from the ACLU. [1] [2]

>> RENEWABLE ENERGY STANDARD FOR COLORADO, which requires major utilities to get 30 percent of their power generation from renewables by the year 2020is it unconstitutional, as asserted in a lawsuit? (1)

>> RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS—Does the Colorado state law for concealed weapons apply on campus? Does the university campus fall under the umbrella of Colorado’s Concealed Carry Act of 2003, which prohibits local governments from establishing gun bans? (1) (2)
A - D
Crime, Justice & Ethics
Categorized issues

>> CHILD INCARCERATION ABUSES--A 1997 report by Human Rights Watch cited multiple abuses of children confined in detention and correctional facilities in Colorado. Have conditions of incarcerated juveniles changed significantly since that report? (1)    (2)

>> CYBERCRIME RATES IN COLORADO HIGHER THAN IN NATION--Lax regulations leave businesses particularly vulnerable to banking cyberfrauds. Most police departments lack resources to adequately combat cybercrime. (1) (2) (3)

>> CONCEALED WEAPONS ON CAMPUS—Does the Colorado state law for concealed weapons apply on campus? Does a ban on concealed weapons on a university campus make sense in terms of preventing mass shootings such as at Virginia Tech? Does the university campus fall under the umbrella of Colorado’s Concealed Carry Act of 2003, which prohibits local governments from establishing gun bans? (1) (2) (3) (4)

>> DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROSECUTION—Is it unconstitutional? Does it compromise the integrity of the justice system and violate defendants' rights?  (1)

>> GANGS ARE EVERY COMMUNITY'S PROBLEM—In 2007 Colorado's youth gangs numbered 110, with over 12,000 members, with communities outside of Denver not represented in the counts. Police say gangs are "every community's problem." Recent arrests have underscored the problem. How can youth and drug gangs be dealt with in the communities? (1)

>> GUN LAWS TOO RESTRICTIVE? Are increased local bans on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines a harmful restriction of personal liberties or necessary anti-crime measures? Do restrictive gun laws help or hinder the growth of crime? Should there be full state preemption of local open-carry ordinances, repealing of gun-show regulations and mandated background checks for private sales, and deregulating airguns? (1)

>> JUDICIAL REFORM—Should there be a change how Colorado’s judges are appointed and how long they serve?

>> MARIJUANA—Should recreational use of marijuana be de-criminalized? Former Colorado Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo is among the minority of conservatives who are in favor of legalizing marijuana, but is part of the majority as a male and Westerner, and growing support is at an all-time high nationally, according to the latest Gallup Poll. (1)

>> MEDIA CORRUPTION/COVERUP?--When a TV station and newspaper have gathered material about the Denver mayor's alleged use of an escort service for prostitution, then a reporter is either fired or resigns, and the stories are dropped--is this the case of the power elite using its influence to squash a scandal? (1)

>> MEDICAL MARIJUANA BLACK MARKET—Legal loopholes are feeding surplus medical marijuana into the black market. Will new regulations, the toughest in the nation, work to curtail this illegal activity? (1)

>> MENTALLY ILL HOUSED IN PRISON SOLITARY CONFINEMENT (1) (2) (3)

>> POLICE BRUTALITY—Denver is ranked in the top ten natiohally for police misconduct, excessive force. (1) [2]

>> POLICE STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS LACKING—The Denver Police Department and other departments don’t provide stress management programs for officers, according to the Denver Police Protective Association. The FBI collects statistics on deaths of officers in action, but not on police suicides, which are estimated to be four times higher.

>> PRISON POPULATION GROWTH in the state is exponentially out of control, ameliorable with reforms in the use for-profit prisons, sentencing, alternatives to incarceration, increased funding for prevention and treatments of individuals and reintegration into the community.

>> SENTENCING DISPARITY FOR WOMEN CHILD SEX OFFENDERS--Women in Colorado convicted of sexually assaulting a child in their care are far less likely to go to prison than men sentenced for the same crime. (1)

>> SENTENCING REFORM—Is drug rehab instead of prison terms a better alternative?

>> SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS VIOLATIONS—SIGs are accused of trying to "buy elections" with violations of campaign finance laws.

>> VIOLENT CRIME INCREASE--While violent crime fell 5.5 percent nationally between 2009 and 2010, Colorado saw an increase of 3.4 percent in that category, which includes forcible rape, aggravated assault and homicide, according to reports from 244 local law enforcement agencies. However, the state's homicide rate of 2.5 per 100,000 people last year was exactly half the national rate of 5.0. (1)




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