Colorado lawmakers gavel in the 2026 session this week, and according to CBS News Colorado, the budget mess is back on the main stage. The state general fund is reportedly $850 million short, with lawmakers also needing to plug a $300 million hole in the current budget. And while Democrats publicly promise to “stand up to Washington,” the same reporting says they’re also eyeing a ballot move that could make TABOR refunds basically a memory.
CBS Colorado reports Democrats plan to refer a measure to voters that would raise the cap on the amount of revenue the state can keep under TABOR by $4.5 billion a year and require a 2% increase in K-12 funding every year for 10 years. If that cap rises, refunds shrink. If it rises enough, refunds disappear. So yeah: “end TABOR refunds” isn’t exactly a wild interpretation—it’s the practical outcome.
And here comes the part where we’re supposed to pretend this is all happening because of the Big Bad Federal Government and not because Colorado’s budget has been run like a maxed-out credit card.
“Stand Up to Washington”… by grabbing cash from Coloradans
- Receipt: House Speaker Julie McCluskie: “We will be standing up to Washington.”
- Receipt: Senate President James Coleman: “What we do in this building will not be defined off of the federal administration.”
- Receipt: CBS Colorado: Democrats plan a ballot measure to raise the TABOR cap by $4.5B/year and mandate 2% annual K-12 increases for 10 years.
So let’s translate: “We won’t be defined by Washington” apparently means “we’ll solve our spending problem by changing the rules so we can keep more of your money.” Bold strategy. Like declaring bankruptcy by buying a bigger wallet.
The budget is in a hole… so the solution is to dig faster
- Receipt: CBS Colorado: general fund is $850 million short.
- Receipt: CBS Colorado: lawmakers also need to plug a $300 million hole in the current budget.
- Receipt: State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer compares last year’s fix to “clearing out your savings to pay your mortgage.”
This is the Colorado budgeting vibe now: spend the “one-time funds,” declare victory, then act shocked when next year shows up—again. Kirkmeyer’s analogy is depressingly accurate, and it should terrify anyone who isn’t living off government payroll or a grant pipeline.
And notice what’s missing from the CBS reporting: a detailed plan for reforming programs, cutting waste, or prioritizing core services. What we do get is the classic Capitol reflex: when the spreadsheet bleeds, reach for TABOR with a chainsaw.
Blame Trump, blame mismanagement, blame everyone—just don’t blame the building
- Receipt: CBS Colorado: Trump Administration threatens to freeze “hundreds of millions” in funding to Colorado; a federal judge granted a temporary injunction.
- Receipt: Department of Early Childhood says if it doesn’t get $91 million by month’s end, up to 27,000 low-income kids could lose child care.
- Receipt: Kirkmeyer: “They’re just looking for a scapegoat because they’re so poorly mismanaged,” and claims the department has a $76 million fund balance.
- Receipt: Rep. Kyle Brown: “We need to have certainty about what the numbers are.”
Here’s where it gets spicy: even Democrats in the story admit the numbers don’t add up. Brown flat-out says they need certainty and a long-term strategy. That’s not a “Trump did it” statement—that’s a “we don’t trust the math” statement. And when the math is squishy, the first instinct should not be “quick, raise the TABOR cap.”
Our refunds aren’t a “nice bonus.” They’re the guardrails.
We’re the ones who get hit when the Capitol plays budget Jenga. We pay higher housing costs, higher insurance, higher energy bills—then get told the solution is to permanently let the state keep $4.5 billion more per year before refunds even start. Meanwhile, they’re also talking about mandatory spending escalators for a decade.
TABOR refunds are not a gift from benevolent leaders. They’re a refund of money the state collected above limits. Changing the cap isn’t “modernizing.” It’s rewriting the deal—because the people in charge can’t (or won’t) control spending.
Bottom line
CBS Colorado reports Democrats are gearing up for a ballot measure that would raise the TABOR cap by $4.5B/year and lock in 10 years of 2% annual K-12 increases—all while the state faces an $850M general fund shortfall and a $300M current-budget hole. That’s not a plan to “save Colorado.” That’s a plan to make sure Colorado government never has to live within limits again.
Tell us in the comments: would you vote to raise the TABOR cap—yes or no—and what, specifically, would you cut first instead?
Source: CBS News Colorado
Just Stop It
