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In this episode, our latest survey of Colorado voters on TABOR and Proposition CC, where things stand right now and what it means for this year and beyond. Segment 1: Proposition CC? Let’s start by discussing Proposition CC, before getting into TABOR more generally. As a reminder, here is the text of Proposition CC. The Colorado Sun had a helpful breakdown of the arguments in support of CC back in April, and here is a breakdown of arguments against CC from Mike Krause at Complete Colorado. Right now, support for Prop CC is at 54%, driven by solid support among Democrats (72%) and Unaffiliated voters (60%). Republican voters not surprisingly are far less enthusiastic at 32%. What does it mean over the next few months as each side makes their case? Segment 2: Key Takeaways on TABOR? We first asked respondents how familiar they are with the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, also known as the TABOR Amendment in Colorado’s constitution. 59% are at least somewhat familiar, though only 20% are very familiar. Another 22% are not too familiar with TABOR, and 16% are not familiar at all. Among those who are very, somewhat or not too familiar, 46% have a favorable impression of TABOR while 36% have an unfavorable opinion and 18% don’t have an opinion. This question splits dramatically across party lines as 60% of Republicans have a favorable impression while only 32% of Democrats have a favorable impression. A near majority of Unaffiliated voters, 47%, also have a favorable impression. What jumps out in the data here? We also asked about the two main components of TABOR, and found that requiring voter approval for tax increases is a significantly more popular aspect than requiring the state to refund excess revenue to taxpayers. In fact, 47% would support a statewide “de-Brucing” ballot measure even without providing respondents a specific reason or purpose, while 39% would oppose it and 13% are undecided. Still, voters have little appetite for a full repeal of TABOR. When asked about a hypothetical measure to repeal TABOR on the 2020 ballot, only 36% would support repeal, 48% would oppose it and 16% are undecided. In general, where does the TABOR debate go from here? Segment 3: Petition Gathering in Colorado A quick topic for our Colorado listeners: Last week a judge ruled that Kennedy Enterprises must return the $235,000 they were paid by Walker Stapleton’s campaign during last year’s Republican Primary. It’s just another news story that highlights the potential pitfalls involved for candidates seeking to gain ballot access through the petition process. Doug Robinson, one of Stapleton’s opponents in the primary, follows up with an op-ed in the Colorado Sun calling for reform that removes the profit motive from signature gathering. What’s the right solution here? Segment 4: Governor Hickenlooper and the U.S. Senate Race Last, a mix of national (for now) and local politics…On the heels of a new survey purporting to show a substantial lead for former Gov. Hickenlooper were he to jump into the Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate, what is his next move, and just how much would he shake up the race to unseat Senator Gardner? Segment 5: Wrap Up We’ll continue watching the Democratic Presidential race, and will be back with another podcast in two weeks. Thanks for listening, please subscribe and give us a good rating!