(The Federalist) Colorado voters are deciding on three ballot measures that would overhaul the state’s income tax system, set sex-based rules for school and college sports, and restrict certain surgeries for minors.
Amendment 87 would replace Colorado’s flat 4.4 percent income tax with a graduated system. Supporters, including the Bell Policy Center and Protect Colorado’s Future, claim it would lower rates for most households, raise them sharply above roughly $500,000, and dedicate the new revenue to education, health care, and early childhood programs.
The measure’s brackets, however, would not adjust for inflation. As Nash Herman of the Independence Institute has noted, rising incomes driven largely by inflation would push more taxpayers into higher brackets over time, producing a long-term tax increase for all Coloradans, including those who do not currently fall into the top income tier.