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...

Coloradans believe in something simple and important. The people who live in a community should help decide what that community becomes. That principle is called local control. It is not a technical concept. It is a promise. It means your neighborhood is shaped by the people who live there, raise families there, and invest their lives there. That promise is being tested at the State Capitol. In recent sessions, the legislature has passed and proposed a series of housing bills that override local zoning authority across Colorado. These include mandates eliminating local parking standards, forcing higher density development near transit corridors, requiring approval pathways for housing on church and school property, and allowing certain housing developments to bypass local zoning entirely. More recently, the HOME Act allows public institutions, transit agencies, housing authorities, and nonprofits to construct housing projects on qualifying land regardless of local zoning rules. These p...

The proposed Front Range Passenger Rail (FRPR) project has been touted by its supporters as a transformative initiative for Colorado's transportation system. However, a closer look reveals this is less about progress and more about wasteful spending, social engineering, and government overreach at taxpayers' expense. The fundamental question we must ask is: Do we even need this rail? The data says no. According to the U.S. Census, only 4% of Denver commuters currently use mass transit. Despite this, the FRPR has provided no concrete data to justify the necessity of a multi-billion-dollar passenger rail system. This is a solution in search of a problem - a costly endeavor being pushed without proven demand. A Partisan Push for Social Engineering Let’s be clear: the FRPR is a Democrat-driven initiative. Established by Governor Polis and state Democrats in 2021, it has been championed by Colorado's Democratic U.S. Senators and Representatives. Their vision isn't just about...