Max's Minute | Blogspot

Colorado voters have not yet had their say on Initiative 175. Yet HB26-1430 tries to plan around their answer before they give it. That is the core problem. HB26-1430, called the Colorado Budget Protection Act, is written to take effect only if voters approve a proposed constitutional change that would dedicate more state revenue to road transportation. If that happens, this bill automatically reduces the gasoline excise tax, special fuel excise tax, several vehicle registration fees, and the road usage fee from January 1, 2027, through July 1, 2030. It also creates a new Support Road Transportation Fund to receive revenue dedicated to road transportation and then reroutes that money through a new statutory structure. That may sound technical. It is not. It is a question of whether the legislature should respect the voters or maneuver around them. I voted no because HB26-1430 treats a possible voter-approved constitutional amendment as a problem to be managed before the public has eve...

Colorado lawmakers just cut newer programs to close a budget gap exceeding 1.2 billion dollars. That decision is not routine budgeting. It is evidence of a structural problem that has been building for years. Republicans warned about it. They proposed alternatives. They were dismissed. Now the consequences are visible. The story reported by Colorado Politics confirms what many legislators have been saying for multiple sessions. The state expanded commitments faster than revenue could sustain them. When the downturn arrived, the newest programs became the first casualties. This was predictable. Colorado entered this session facing a shortfall driven by declining revenue growth, expanding eligibility commitments, and rising mandatory spending obligations. Instead of adjusting course earlier, the majority continued approving policies with long-term fiscal exposure. Now, lawmakers are forced to cut recent initiatives to keep the budget balanced. That is not a strategy. That is a correction...

Colorado families deserve honesty about what is happening inside their state government. This year’s budget is not routine. It is not stable. It is not responsible stewardship. It is a warning signal. The legislature is attempting to close a budget hole between 1.2 and 1.5 billion dollars while still advancing expensive policy priorities that expand government commitments beyond what taxpayers can sustain. That is not fiscal discipline. That is a structural imbalance. I supported slowing the process so the public could see what is happening inside this budget. Colorado taxpayers deserve time to understand decisions that will affect their families for years. Here is what is actually happening. Colorado is spending more than it can responsibly sustain The current budget proposal totals roughly 46.8 billion dollars statewide. Medicaid costs alone are driving massive increases in spending and forcing cuts elsewhere across state government. This is not a one-year fluctuation. It is the resu...

For decades, Colorado has maintained a careful balance between the right of workers to organize and the right of individuals to control their own paycheck. That balance is embodied in the Labor Peace Act, a law that has governed labor relations in our state for more than eighty years. Unfortunately, legislation moving through  the Colorado General Assembly would dismantle one of the most important safeguards in that law. Under current law, workers must approve two separate votes before unions can collect mandatory dues or fees from every employee in a workplace. The first vote determines whether employees want union representation. The second vote determines whether that union can require every worker to financially support it. That second vote is not a technicality. It is a protection. If a union wishes to compel financial support from every employee in the workplace, it should have to demonstrate strong and clear support from the workforce. The Labor Peace Act recognizes this sim...

Colorado families are being crushed by the cost of housing. We all see it. Young adults cannot afford a first home. Seniors on fixed incomes feel trapped. Working families are forced farther from jobs, schools, and support systems. So when Democrats roll out another “affordable housing plan,” I read it with one question in mind. Will this actually lower housing costs, or will it grow government control, weaken local communities, and produce more bureaucracy than results? From what’s been reported publicly, this new Democrat agenda follows the same playbook we’ve watched for years. Big promises. Heavy-handed mandates. Centralized control. More spending. Less local authority. More pressure on counties like Douglas, where we have worked hard to build safe neighborhoods, responsible development, and strong infrastructure. Colorado needs more housing. But we need the right kind of housing growth, done in the right way, for the right reasons. And that means respecting the people who actua...

Colorado is no longer drifting. It is being driven - deliberately - down a path that is less affordable, less safe, and less free than the state generations before us built. The data confirms what families already feel. Colorado now ranks among the most expensive states in the nation. Housing affordability is near the bottom. Regulation is among the highest. Property crime, auto theft, and human trafficking are near the top. These are not partisan talking points. They are measurable outcomes of policy choices made under prolonged one-party control. This is not the Colorado we deserve. For several years, legislators like House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell and Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter have been sounding the alarm. Their work has consistently highlighted a pattern: more spending without discipline, more regulation without results, and more centralized control at the expense of local communities and working families. The press coverage is clear. The warning signs are unmistak...

The term "special" would seem to indicate an event that happens outside of the norm, perhaps better or more important than usual, or distinguished by some sort of unique quality.  Colorado’s latest “special” session wasn’t special at all - it was a scripted, six‑day tax‑and‑spend spree that left small businesses reeling, taxpayers paying more, and the state’s budget hole untouched. The call from the Governor to form a special session even dripped with progressive rhetoric, seeking to blame the passage of HR1 for Colorado's ongoing financial woes.  One stated intent of the majority party was to "raise revenue", which we all know means to simply "raise taxes". Lawmakers gutted tax breaks for small businesses and insurance companies, wiped out incentives for entrepreneurs, and operated in open defiance of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR). Take, for instance, the elimination of the vendor fee. This was a modest compensation to retailers to help offset t...

When I first ran for office, I made a promise to represent the people of Douglas County with clarity, courage, and a fierce commitment to preserving what makes our community exceptional. That commitment led me to become a vocal supporter of the Douglas County Home Rule Charter. This initiative was never about rebellion. It was about resilience. Each legislative session at the State Capitol brings a new round of policies that pull authority away from local communities and concentrate it in Denver under the gold dome. From statewide zoning mandates that strip your elected county commissioners of land use authority, to top-down education reforms that disregard the values of local families, we are watching the slow but deliberate erosion of local control. Home Rule offered Douglas County the opportunity to push back intelligently, constitutionally, and proactively. Let me be clear: Home Rule is not a silver bullet. It doesn't give a county the power to defy state law or rewrite the Con...

On April 23, Governor Jared Polis raised the Mexican flag over the Colorado State Capitol. Just weeks earlier, on March 15, he raised the Canadian flag in the same place. These weren’t spontaneous gestures - they were the centerpieces of official proclamations declaring “Colorado-Mexico Friendship Day” and “Colorado-Canada Friendship Day.” But while the governor parades foreign flags above the people’s Capitol, Coloradans are drowning under rising costs, tax burdens, and constitutional infringements. Instead of focusing on the crises at home, Governor Polis is playing diplomat, using the Capitol - not as a symbol of the people’s sovereignty - but as a billboard for his personal political aspirations. Let’s call it what it is: a campaign stunt. While everyday Coloradans are worried about affording groceries, paying their property taxes, or holding onto their Second Amendment rights, the governor is busy setting the stage for his next political act - flirting with federal-level ambitions...

Lately, a wave of misinformation - driven by the banking lobby - has flooded inboxes and airwaves. Their goal? To sink a straightforward, commonsense bill: HB25-1282 . Their ads claim the bill will hurt consumers, destabilize the payment system, and threaten access to credit. But here’s the truth: HB25-1282 simply prohibits credit card companies from charging swipe fees on sales tax and tips - money that doesn’t belong to the business in the first place. Let’s be clear: this bill doesn’t eliminate interchange fees. It doesn’t prevent customers from using credit or debit cards. It doesn’t force small businesses to change how they operate. What it does is stop Visa, Mastercard, and other payment networks from taking a percentage cut of taxes and gratuities - charges that go to the government or workers, not to the business. A quick clarification: if you’ve tipped a server with a credit card, the full tip still goes to the server. But the business pays a swipe fee on the entire amount - i...

Small businesses are the backbone of Colorado’s economy, yet on the campaign trail, many business owners approached me and asked for help with their struggle under the weight of excessive fees imposed by large financial institutions. HB25-1282  Payment Card Network Practices & Fees is a critical step toward fairness, ensuring that businesses are no longer charged unnecessary interchange fees on taxes and tips - money they do not keep.  I’m pleased to report that my bill has passed in committee with a 9-3 vote and is now headed to the House, where I expect it to pass before advancing to the Senate. Despite exaggerated claims from opponents, this bill is a commonsense reform that promotes transparency, economic growth, and competition while eliminating an unfair financial burden on merchants. Currently, businesses pay swipe fees not only on their actual sales but also on taxes and tips, which are funds that go to the government and employees. HB25-1282 eliminates these unnec...

This past week, I voted in favor of House Bill 25-1208 in the Business Affairs & Labor Committee, and I intend to support it again when it reaches the Finance Committee - barring any amendments that fundamentally alter the bill’s purpose. My decision is grounded in one simple truth: Colorado’s restaurants are struggling to survive under the weight of escalating labor costs, and they need relief now. As the backbone and lifeblood of local economies, including here in Castle Rock, our restaurants operate on razor-thin profit margins - often 1% or less. Without financial relief, many of these small businesses will face bankruptcy, resulting in significant job losses and economic decline for our communities. The Reality Facing Our Restaurants The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the restaurant industry, and now, just as they are beginning to recover, escalating labor costs are threatening to finish the job. Several municipalities across Colorado have enacted minimum wages that far exc...

In a disappointing turn of events, the Colorado House committee’s decision to kill HB25-1055 means that HB24-1353 - a deeply flawed bill - will continue to impose unnecessary burdens on law-abiding firearms dealers and responsible gun owners in our state. Let’s be clear: HB25-1055 was the solution, not the problem. Its purpose was to repeal the misguided HB24-1353, which seeks to establish an additional state licensing authority for firearms dealers - a move that defies common sense and accomplishes nothing in the fight against gun crime. One of the most glaring flaws of HB24-1353 is its cost. Enforcement of this redundant regulation is projected to cost Colorado about $3 million a year at a time when our state is already facing a budget crisis that requires cutting $1 billion due to reckless overspending by Democrats. These budget cuts won’t just affect abstract numbers; they will directly impact funding for education, healthcare, and other essential services that Colorado families ...

Credit cards are a modern convenience most consumers take for granted. For local businesses, however, the convenience comes with a significant and often underappreciated cost. Credit card processing fees, which typically range between 1.5% and 3.5% of each transaction, can quickly add up to a hefty expense. While these fees are often absorbed as part of doing business, certain aspects - like fees applied to tips and taxes - place an unfair burden on businesses, especially small, independent ones. Fees on Tips and Taxes: A Double Hit When a customer tips their server or pays sales tax on a purchase, these amounts often pass directly through the business to workers or the government. Yet, credit card companies charge fees on the entire transaction, including these amounts. This means small businesses pay a percentage of money that doesn’t contribute to their revenue. For restaurants, where tipping is common, or in high-tax states, the impact is even more pronounced. The Tax Rate Incentiv...

Colorado is facing a staggering budget deficit projected at $750 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year. While some may rush to blame TABOR (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) or our balanced budget requirements, the truth is far more sobering. This fiscal crisis is not the result of structural limitations - it is the product of irresponsible spending, poor decision-making, and reckless expansion of government programs under one-party rule. The hard truth about overspending is that, in recent years, Colorado’s Democratic leadership has presided over an unprecedented expansion of government spending. Programs and initiatives - many well-intentioned - have been implemented without a sustainable plan to fund them. Instead of prioritizing core services like education, public safety, and infrastructure, the majority party has chosen to pursue policies that push the boundaries of the government’s role, leading to bloated budgets and m...