HCAC Positions - 2020 Colorado Ballot Measures

The goal of Health Care for All Colorado is to achieve universal, affordable, accessible, undeniable, and portable health care for all Coloradans.

In reviewing this year's Colorado ballot, the Board of Health Care for All Colorado has voted to take a position on the following Ballot Measures.

Type

Title

Subject

Description

HCAC Position

CISS

Proposition

115

Abortion

Prohibits abortion after 22 weeks gestational age. 

HCAC Rationale for Opposing Proposition 115:  Currently an abortion can be performed at any time during pregnancy.  This proposal would prohibit abortion after 22 weeks of gestational age of the fetus, interfering with the patient provider relationship in making healthcare decisions, and denying access to care.

Oppose

CISS

Proposition 116

Taxes

Decreases the state income tax rate from 4.63% to 4.55%. 

HCAC Rationale for Opposing Proposition 116:  Colorado’s economy and people have suffered from the COVID economic and health crisis.  The cuts in revenue following a tax cut would add to the losses in education, health care and other state services.  Education is a social determinant of health.

Oppose

CISS

Proposition 118

Healthcare

Establishes a program for paid medical and family leave.  

HCAC Rationale for Supporting Proposition 118:  Provides partial wage replacement so that eligible employees can take time off for medical reasons or to provide care for family members.

Support

LRCA

Amendment B

Taxes & Property

Repeals the Gallagher Amendment of 1982, which limited the residential and non-residential property tax assessment rates so that residential property taxes amounted to 45% of the total share of state property taxes and non-residential property taxes amounted to 55% of the total share of state property taxes.

HCAC Rationale for Supporting Amendment B:  Amendment B does not increase property taxes and helps preserve funding for local districts that provide fire protection, police, ambulance, hospital, kindergarten through twelfth grade education, and other services.  Education is a social determinant of health.

Support

LRSS

Proposition EE

Tobacco & Taxes

Increases taxes on tobacco, creates a new tax on nicotine products such as e-cigarettes; dedicates funds to education and health programs. 

HCAC Rationale for Supporting Proposition EE:  Proposition EE initially uses the tax revenue primarily for public school funding to help offset revenue that has been lost as a result of the economic impacts related to COVID-19 and then for programs that reduce the use of tobacco and nicotine products. Enhances the voluntary Colorado preschool program and makes it widely available for free and maintains the funding for programs that currently receive revenue from tobacco taxes, with the state keeping and spending all the new revenue as a voter-approved revenue change.  Education is a social determinant of health.

Support

CISS = Initiated State Statute; LRCA = Legislatively Referred Constitutional Amendment; LRSS = Legislatively Referred State Statute (Source: BALLOTPEDIA)