Colorado voters gave a mixed reaction Tuesday on a pair of statewide tax increases. Voters didn鈥檛 want to tax themselves to pay for education, but were overwhelmingly willing to tax recreational marijuana to help rebuild schools.
Amendment 66
Supporters of Amendment 66 waged a vigorous get out the vote campaign flush with .
It wasn鈥檛 enough to convince voters to say 鈥測es.鈥�
鈥淣ow we just start our work again,鈥� said senator Mike Johnston (D-Denver).
Amendment 66 sought to overhaul how Colorado pays for public schools. Even before Election Day, Johnston, the sponsor of the underlying legislation, said he knew it would be an uphill battle.
鈥淭he unique opportunity we have here is to build the system we all want for our kids and not just be satisfied with what we inherited,鈥� Johnston said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 solve a complicated problem without a sophisticated solution.鈥�
Gov. Hickenlooper addressing supporters after announcement of loss.
— Josie Klemaier (@JosieKlemaier)
That solution would have been a two-tiered income tax increase. It had backing from Democrats in the state house and Governor John Hickenlooper campaigned for it. Hickenlooper says he鈥檚 obviously disappointed by the outcome, but says there are always setbacks before you reach that ultimate success.
鈥淭his is all just the down payment and it鈥檚 the foundation of what we鈥檙e all working for in the years ahead,鈥� said Hickenlooper. 鈥淲e鈥檒l push that boulder up the hill.鈥�
Opponents 鈥� including John Caldera with the Independence Institute and the group Coloradan鈥檚 for Real Education Reform 鈥� said the initiative wasn鈥檛 innovative and said the tax hike would set back the state.
鈥淚t鈥檚 difficult to come out against anything that鈥檚 labeled for education,鈥� said Caldera. 鈥淲e鈥檙e learning the facts on how this damages businesses, how this is unfair for students and unfair to school districts and how it鈥檚 going to hurt Colorado that鈥檚 already been ravaged by floods.鈥�
"Isn't that how they sold it to us? Sell it and tax the crap out of it?"
Proposition AA
The other tax on the ballot, the tax for recreational marijuana, fared much better. Voters handily passed Proposition AA to impose a 15 percent excise tax and a 10 percent sales tax.
鈥淚sn鈥檛 that how they sold it to us? Sell it and tax the crap out of it?鈥� said David Levy, a Democratic voter from Douglas county.
He echoed the sentiments of the majority of voters Tuesday who say they have no problem taxing recreational marijuana.
鈥淭ax it and use the money for good,鈥� said Kelly Patrick, a voter in Denver.
The first $40 million collected from Prop AA will go toward school construction; the rest of the revenue collected will go to regulation and enforcement.
Marijuana, Cheetos & Goldfish all legal in CO. Now we鈥檒l have the $$ to regulate, enforce & educate.
— John Hickenlooper (@Hickenlooper)
Some members of the recreational marijuana industry worry the taxes will be too high and push people back to the black market. But Joe Megysey with the Yes on Proposition AA campaign says it鈥檚 crucial for the state to have the resources to adequately enforce the new industry.
鈥淵ou know the whole world is watching us right now to see how we regulate marijuana,鈥� said Megysey. 鈥淲e have an opportunity to show that marijuana can pay for its own regulations and pay for other services like public school construction.鈥�
The first recreational marijuana stores in .
Meanwhile supporters of the education tax say the fight isn鈥檛 over. They plan to examine why the initiative failed so resoundingly, despite the millions spent on the campaign. It鈥檚 the for public schools.
