Policy Update: Colorado Votes

Colorado voters decided on two major ballot measures on Election Day 2019.

Proposition DD asked voters to legalize sports betting in Colorado and create a 10 percent tax on casino’s house winnings that would largely benefit the state’s water plan. The measure was a bipartisan backed effort in the state legislature, and while it was too close to call on election night, it ended up narrowly passing. Strong proponents praised the passage of DD, while stressing that it’s just the first step in investing in the state’s water future. Colorado is the 19th state to legalize sports betting.

Proposition CC – the ballot measure that would have allowed the state to keep money that exceeds the TABOR revenue cap and put it towards transportation, K-12, and higher education – was defeated by a 7 point margin on Tuesday. The measure was referred to the ballot by the Democrat-controlled state legislature, with proponents arguing that the change was one of the only ways to address the transportation and education backlogs in the state. But Prop CC was highly contested by conservatives who felt that it was nothing more than a tax hike, and ultimately that opposition won out.

It’s not clear yet what the failure of Prop CC will mean moving forward, but state leaders and lawmakers have suggested that they will need to develop other solutions to address improvements in schools and transportation infrastructure.

While CBSA did not take a position on either measure, we appreciate the commitment of our state leaders to tackle these challenges, and we will continue to partner with them to foster economic growth and enhance the life sciences industry in Colorado.

Stay up to date with what is impacting the life sciences community during the session.