Mon Sep 16 15:49:09 UTC 2024: ## Colorado Ballot Measures: Millions Spent on Election Reform, Abortion Rights
Denver, CO – The race for Colorado’s November election is heating up, with supporters and opponents of various ballot measures already spending over $15 million, according to campaign finance records. This figure is expected to soar as the election draws closer.
Voters will be deciding on 14 ballot measures, ranging from property tax exemptions for veterans to abortion rights, firearm taxes, and election reform. While each issue has its supporters, the financial resources are not evenly distributed.
The biggest financial war chest belongs to Colorado Voters First, an issue committee advocating for Proposition 131, which would implement open primaries and ranked-choice voting for state and federal elections. The committee has raised nearly $5.5 million, with most of the money coming from Unite America and Kent Thiry, a multimillionaire with a history of political involvement.
Meanwhile, the campaign against Proposition 131, Voter Rights Colorado, has raised a significantly smaller amount, only $46,000.
Amendment 79, which would enshrine the right to abortion in the Colorado Constitution, has also attracted substantial funding. Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom has raised over $4.2 million, with $1.5 million going towards television advertising. The measure’s opponents have raised less than $100,000.
Other measures, such as Proposition 129, which aims to create a new class of veterinary professionals, and Proposition 127, which seeks to ban mountain lion and bobcat hunting, have seen more balanced financial contributions between their supporters and opponents.
The conservative advocacy group Advance Colorado, which has successfully placed several measures on the ballot, is currently focused on initiatives related to law enforcement training, criminal sentencing, and school choice. However, their fundraising has not yet reached significant levels.
The influx of money into these ballot measure campaigns highlights the growing importance of these issues to Colorado voters and the influence of political spending in the state’s elections. As the election approaches, voters can expect to see an increasing number of advertisements and campaign materials promoting the various measures.
First Piper 