The Denver Gazette recently reported on a new proposal from Democratic lawmakers at the Colorado Capitol to redirect Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refunds to public education. In a March 6 article by Marianne Goodland, the outlet details a plan that would send billions of dollars that normally go back to taxpayers straight into K-12 schools instead.
Supporters argue the move is necessary to address what they call chronic underfunding in Colorado’s public schools. The proposal would allow the state to keep revenue above the TABOR cap equal to what Colorado spends on K-12 education, roughly $4.7 billion in the 2025-26 budget. If voters approve the measure, the state would likely eliminate TABOR refunds for about a decade, redirecting roughly $2 billion toward schools instead of sending it back to taxpayers.
Critics see the proposal very differently. They argue it is simply another attempt to sidestep TABOR’s constitutional limits on government spending and taxation. The debate comes as lawmakers face a projected $850 million state budget shortfall and are weighing tough funding decisions across multiple programs.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Democrats are pushing a ballot measure that would send TABOR refunds to K-12 schools instead of taxpayers for the next decade. Translation: your refund becomes a line item in the state budget.
- The proposal would effectively lift TABOR limits by allowing the state to keep revenue above the cap equal to the amount spent on K-12 education. That is about $4.7 billion in general fund spending.
- Supporters say schools are underfunded by billions and need the extra money for teacher pay, counselors, and resources.
- Critics counter that school funding has already increased significantly in recent years while enrollment has declined, and more spending has shifted toward administrative and non-instructional staff.
- The fight is the latest chapter in a decades-long political tug-of-war over TABOR, the 1992 constitutional amendment requiring voter approval before government can keep excess revenue or raise taxes.
My Bottom Line
Here we go again. The same playbook. The same talking points. And the same political sleight of hand.
When politicians in Denver say they want to take your TABOR refunds “for the children,” what they really mean is this: they do not want to make the hard choices that budgeting requires. Funding education is one of the most basic responsibilities of state government. If schools are truly the priority they claim, then prioritize them. Move money. Cut something else. That is what every family in Colorado has to do with their own budget.
Instead, the proposal basically says government cannot control its spending, so taxpayers should give up the refund that the Constitution says belongs to them. That is not budgeting. That is a shakedown wrapped in a school mascot.
And let’s be honest about the broader pattern here. TABOR exists precisely because Colorado voters wanted limits on government growth and a guarantee that excess revenue comes back to the people who earned it. Every few years, someone at the Capitol dreams up a new workaround to chip away at that protection.
Coloradans should see this for what it is. If lawmakers believe they need more money, they should make the case directly and honestly. But using education as the emotional shield to quietly eliminate refunds for a decade? That is not leadership.
That is just another attempt to pick your pocket while telling you it is for a good cause.
Source: The Denver Gazette
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