Photo by: www.ritterforgovenor.com
Bob Beauprez
Affiliation: Republican
Age: 58
Career: President/CEO of Heritage Banks, Dairy farmer
Experience: GOP chairman in 1999, 2001; 7th Congressional District Representative, re-elected in 2004
Religion:Practicing Catholic
Family Life: Married, four children
Issues:
-Colorado habitat initiative that would set aside tax revenue and money from energy companies for habitat enhancement
-Water conservation efforts
-Pro-life
-Constitutional ammendment banning gay marriage
-Opposed to expanded federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research
Bill Ritter
Affiliation: Democrat
Age: 50
Career: Denver’s district attorney, Partner in the law firm of Hogan & Hartson
Experience: Federal prosecutor
Religion: Practicing Catholic
Family life: Married, four children
Issues:
-Supports development of a state plan to address climate change
-Committed to keeping abortion legal, though personally opposed.
-Increase adoption as an alternative
-Water conservation efforts
-Keep higher education affordable
-Funding for Denver public schools
-Supports Referendum I
Amendment 38: Petitions
Expands the ability of citizens to propose changes to state laws and local ordinances or resolutions by extending the petition process to all levels of Colorado’s governments that use a legislative process, including school districts, counties, special districts, authorities and other special purpose government entities.
Amendment 39:
School district spending requirements
Requires that at least 65 percent of operational expenditures go to specified classroom expenses. Classroom expenses are defined as: teachers and personnel providing direct support to teachers, such as aides or tutors, suppliers and equipment used for instructional purposes, libraries and librarians, instructional services provided to the school district from outside programs and extracurricular activities including, but not limited to, athletics.
Amendment 40:
Term limits for supreme court and Court of Appeal judges
Reduces the number of years for a judicial term from ten years to four years for state Supreme Court members and from eight years to four years for regular term length for state Court of Appeals members.
Amendment 41: Standards of conduct in government
Expands current restrictions for Colorado elected officials saying that they cannot accept gifts of money in any amount or office equipment, supplies or services valued at more than $50 from any person in connection with the elected official’s public duties. Under the amendment, it would expand to cover other gifts and things of value and extends the prohibition to most state and local government employees.
It also creates an independent ethics commission, consisting of five members (one appointed by the senate, house of representatives, governor, chief justice of the supreme court and local governments), that will investigate allegations of misconduct against a state or local government official or employee, other standards of conduct, and other reporting requirements. The commission will have the authority to subpoena documents and persons, hear complaints, issue rulings and findings, assess penalties, and issue advisory opinions.
Amendment 42:
Colorado minimum wage
Increases minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85 per hour the state minimum wage for salaried workers and increases from $2.13 to $3.83 per hour the state minimum wage for workers receiving tips.
Amendment 43:
Marriage
Amends the state constitution by defining marriage in Colorado as only a union between one man and one woman. For a marriage to be valid under Colorado statutes, it must be between a man and a woman, and second, licensed, solemnized, and registered according to established procedures.
Amendment 44: Marijuana possession
Decriminalizes the possession of one ounce or less of marijuana for persons 21 and over, making the crime (guilty of a Class 2 petty offense) only applicable to people under 21.
Referendum E:
Property tax reduction for disabled veterans
Allows for senior homestead exemption to be extended to veterans who are 100 percent permanently disabled due to a service-connected disability. The exemption would apply to half of the first $200,000 in market value for a given qualifying homeowner.
Referendum F:
Recall deadlines
Amends the Colorado constitution on recall elections to allow the deadlines for recall petitions, protests and hearings to be set in statute rather than in the constitution.
Referendum G: Obsolete constitutional provisions
Amends the state constitution to eliminate the requirement the conscientious objectors pay for the militia duty, references to outdated requirements for the consolidation of several city and county of Denver school districts into a single school district, references to dates and outdated statutory provisions regarding the old age pension fund
Referendum H: Limiting a state business income tax deduction
Would eliminate the ability of businesses to claim wages for “unauthorized aliens” as an expense for state income tax purposes. The definition of an unauthorized alien is one that violates federal law regarding the employment eligibility of aliens. Also, the employer must pay an individual at least $600 in a year in order to be covered under the referendum. It must be found that the employer knew that the employee was an unauthorized alien when the employee was hired. The referendum does not apply to: any business exempt from complying with federal employment verification procedures, employees hired prior to Jan. 1, 2008, any workers not paid directly by the employer, or wages paid to an employee that presents a valid license or identification card issued by the Department of Revenue.
Referendum I: Domestic partnerships
Establishes legal domestic partnerships in the state of Colorado. It specifies eligibility requirements, definitions, procedures, rights, responsibilities and means for terminating domestic partnerships.
Referendum J:
School district spending requirements
Makes two changes to school district budgeting. First, it requires that at least 65 percent of operational expenditures go to services directly affecting student achievement. Second, it requires all school districts to send their budgets to the Department of Education in a standard format.
Referendum K: Immigration lawsuit against federal government
Directs the Colorado attorney general to initiate, or join other states in, a lawsuit the U.S. attorney general to demand that the federal government enforce existing federal immigration laws.
