Colorado Politics’ Marissa Ventrelli reports that the fight over road funding has intensified at the Capitol, where Democrats are pushing House Bill 1430, a measure designed to take effect only if Initiative 175 passes. Initiative 175 would require transportation-related revenues to be spent on roads, bridges, safety improvements, transportation planning, engineering, and Colorado State Patrol operations. HB 1430 would reduce excise taxes on fuel, certain registration fees, and road usage fees from 2027 to 2030, effectively gutting the initiative before voters even get their say.
At stake is roughly $700 million. Supporters of Initiative 175 say Colorado’s roads are crumbling and voters want money already tied to vehicles and transportation to actually go toward roads. Opponents say the initiative would divert money away from schools, health care, and other state priorities. Translation: voters might tell the ruling class what to prioritize, and the ruling class is now hyperventilating into a recycled tote bag.
The Bullet Point Brief
- House Bill 1430 would only kick in if Initiative 175 passes. That is not governing. That is setting a legislative bear trap in front of the ballot box.
- Initiative 175 has reportedly gathered about 75% of the signatures needed to qualify for the ballot. That must explain the sudden panic under the gold dome. Nothing terrifies ruling Democrats like voters getting organized.
- The bill’s sponsors say Initiative 175 could pull money from K-12, higher education, health care, and other programs. Here we go again: ask for roads, and suddenly a hospital gets tied to the railroad tracks.
- Initiative backers say HB 1430 undermines voters before they even cast ballots. Correct. This is legislative gymnastics, and not the charming Olympic kind. More like a toddler doing a somersault into a coffee table.
- Colorado’s highway system was ranked 42nd nationally by the Reason Foundation for overall cost-effectiveness and condition, with rural and urban interstate pavement ranked 46th and 45th. But sure, tell us again how the train fantasy is going great.
My Bottom Line
I have seen a lot of bad stuff come out of the Capitol since Polis and his elitist band of ruling Democrats took over, but this bill takes the cake. It is nothing more than an advance shot at usurping the will of the voters, and I find it disgusting.
This shows you how little they truly care about you or the democratic process. Democrats are always the ones gnashing their teeth and wringing their hands over “concern for our sacred democracy.” Then they pull a stunt like this. They are hypocrites and liars.
Under Polis’ “leadership,” Colorado roads have fallen among the worst in the nation, routinely ranked near the bottom. This is by design. They want you miserable in your cars so maybe, just maybe, you will climb onto their bus or their grand and glorious train. Problem is, that bus actually drives by very few Coloradans. But there is a bus in the Denver-Boulder bubble, and that matters, right?
So Coloradans get mad and push back with Initiative 175, which I fully endorse and support. It is simple: use transportation-related money for transportation. Duh. Build roads. Fix roads. Maintain roads. Make the system work for the people who actually live, work, ranch, farm, haul, commute, deliver, and travel across this state.
Polling must be good, because the ruling Democrats are in full panic. So they do what they always do: “We might lose health care. We might lose education.” No, what might happen is that you will actually have to set priorities that reflect the people you serve, rather than the pet programs offered up by friendly nonprofits that benefit illegal aliens and every activist project with a cute acronym.
HB 1430 is not a road bill. It is not a budget bill. It is a power bill. It tells voters: you may speak, but we will decide whether your voice counts. That is not democracy. That is arrogance with a bill number.
Source: Colorado Politics
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