PERSPECTIVE: The citizens initiative sabotaged
By Michael Fields on August 20, 2023One of the worst things a government can do to a free people is force them to speak. Free speech is the right to say what you believe, but also the right to not say things you don’t believe. The government should never be in the business of compelled speech — and especially not when it’s false compelled speech.
Because we believe deeply in First Amendment rights — as Coloradans of all political parties do — Advance Colorado sued the state of Colorado for violating the First Amendment. When the government doesn’t respect constitutional boundaries, someone has to stand up to legislative overreach. Here’s a little history to explain the problem we’re facing.
In 2020, Coloradans voted to lower the state income tax. Immediately, alarm bells went off in the Capitol. Liberal legislators quickly realized that their views on fiscal policy were not shared by a majority of the electorate, even if that very same electorate had voted them into office. It was clear to them that voters would repeatedly support tax cuts unless they stepped in and rigged the citizens-initiative process.
The citizens initiative process in Colorado is a big part of how we pass laws. Many states don’t grant any type of lawmaking authority to average citizens, but here in the independent West, we do. It’s rooted in our state Constitution. Article 5 of the Colorado Constitution says: “…but the people reserve to themselves the power to propose laws and amendments to the constitution and to enact or reject the same at the polls independent of the general assembly…”
