Colorado citizens voted to turn down Proposition 119 on Nov. 2, with 54.47% of voters voting no and 45.53% of voters voting yes, preventing an increase in the marijuana sales tax and the creation of an out-of-school education program.
The ballot measure would have increased marijuana sales tax from 15% to 20% by 2024, with a 3% increase taking place in 2022 and a 4% increase taking place in 2023. The revenue generated from the tax increases would have been transferred to the proposed Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress Program (LEAP Program).
The LEAP Program set out to create out-of-school education for students across the state, with anyone from the age of 5 to 17-years-old being eligible for several services.
These services would have included tutoring, technical training, therapy, mental health training and mentoring programs, among other things.
Supporters of the proposition specifically stated that the new program would help students affected by the alternate education provided throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“On the heels of COVID, closing the gap has taken on a special urgency,” a statement on the Yes on Prop 119 website reads. “Now is the time to take the first step, because the future of so many young people is on the line.”
Supporters of Proposition 119 conceded defeat Tuesday night.
“The significant gap in achievement between students from wealthy families and their low-income peers has been an unfortunate educational outcome in Colorado for years— and tonight’s results mean it will likely continue to get worse before it gets better,” Curtis Hubbard, a spokesperson for Yes on Prop 119 said.
Supporters of the proposition were outweighed, and many of those who were in the opposition shared their thoughts on the matter.
“We can’t balance the state budget and education on the backs of cannabis consumers; we need long-term solutions that address structural deficiencies,” said Peter Marcus, spokesperson for Terrapin Care Station, a cannabis company based in Boulder.
Bipartisan opposition against the proposition was strong, with Democratic State Senator Julie Gonzales and Republican Minority Leader Chris Holbert co-writing a guest column for the Gazette stating their disapproval before the election occurred.
“The passage of Proposition 119 would only create yet another ongoing bureaucratic layer to Colorado’s beleaguered education system with no oversight on how the millions of dollars it collects will be managed or distributed,” the column reads.
The two politicians pointed out how the proposition felt like a major power grab, citing the success of Colorado’s past use of the existing marijuana taxes and how delegating that money to a specific organization would only hurt the state.
“We agree that Colorado needs a strong education system, but this is neither a short-term solution or a long-term plan,” the two wrote. “Proposition 119 will harm our current education funding, create a mysterious ‘authority’ that will govern how taxpayer dollars are spent and will generate harm to citizens who rely upon cannabis for the management of pain and other conditions.”
