WHEREAS Club 20 endorses and supports the right of the citizens to petition their government, and
WHEREAS the Colorado constitution is subject to amendment by two processes, one by action of the General Assembly placing an issue before the electorate as a referendum and one by the citizen’s initiative process, and
WHEREAS Western Colorado has a small population base compared to other parts of the state, and
WHEREAS to amend the Colorado Constitution, a two-thirds affirmative approval from each chamber of the state legislature is required to refer the measure to Colorado voters, and
WHEREAS citizen initiated constitutional measures require the collection of signatures from registered Colorado voters equal to 5% of the number of votes cast in the preceding Colorado Secretary of State election. These signatures are further required to be collected from Colorado’s 35 senate districts with a minimum of 2% of signatures coming from each district.
WHEREAS voter ratification of Colorado Constitutional amendments occurs for new constitutional amendments when the measure passes by a 55% supermajority vote. If the measure only removes language from the constitution or modifies an existing amendment passed before the passage of Amendment 71, then only a simple majority vote is needed, and
WHEREAS statutory changes, that change existing laws or creates new laws, can be initiated by the citizens of Colorado or referred to voters by the Colorado legislature with a simple majority vote of each chamber and require a voter ratification of simple majority of 50% plus one voter approval to be adopted, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Club 20 supports changing the process for citizen initiatives and legislative referenda as follows:
- Change the basis of signature requirements for the petition process to the number of voters who participated in the last vote of the Governor, rather than the Secretary of State, and
- For initiated statutory measures, require that the signatures of 5% of all those who voted in the last gubernatorial election within each of the state’s Congressional Districts be secured to place such measures on the ballot and require a simple majority of voters to approve, but a super majority of the legislature (both houses) to amend or change them, and
- Require ballot language and ballot titles that accurately reflect the content of the measure and is more understandable to the average voter, and
- Encourage and support full financial transparency of proponents and opponents, and
- Encourage and support enforcement of campaign finance disclosures, as required by law, and
- Add a fiscal note to the petitions, so voters would have the opportunity to consider both the substance and fiscal consequences of the proposed measure before signing.
Adopted 3/2/2001
Amended 9/7/2001
Amended 9/8/2006
Amended 4/9/2010
Amended 9/11/2015
Amended 3/23/2022