Voters to decide whether to increase threshold for amending state constitution

DENVER —  A proposal that would make it harder to amend the Colorado constitution will be on the ballot this November, Secretary of State Wayne Williams announced Tuesday.

Initiative No. 96, called Amending the Constitution, would require that any petition for a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment be signed by at least 2 percent of the registered electors in each of the 35 state Senate districts. Currently, signatures of 1 percent of registered voters from anywhere in the state are required.

Also, the percentage of votes to pass any proposed constitutional amendment would be increased from a majority to at least 55 percent of the votes cast, unless the proposed amendment only repeals any provision of the constitution.

SPONSORED CONTENT

The many benefits of simple, coordinated healthcare

Kaiser Permanente combines health care and coverage in one connected system to maximize employee health and minimize employer costs.

Amending the Constitution is the fourth citizens’ initiative to successfully make the ballot for the election on Nov 8. The other proposals approved for election are  ColoradoCare, Minimum Wage and Medical Aid in Dying.

ColoradoCare is asking that state taxes be increased by $25 billion annually to establish a health-care payment system to fund health care for people whose primary residence is in Colorado.

Minimum Wage is asking to increase the minimum wage to $9.30 per hour with annual increases of 90 cents each Jan. 1 until it reaches $12 per hour effective January 2020, and then annually adjusting it for cost-of-living increases.

Medical Aid in Dying would permit any mentally capable adult Colorado resident who has a medical prognosis of death by terminal illness within six months to receive a prescription from a willing licensed physician for medication that can be self-administered to bring about death.

In addition, the Denver Metro Scientific and Cultural Facilities Board put Issue 4B, a sales-and-use tax measure, on ballots in Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Denver, Douglas (except Castle Rock and Larkspur) and Jefferson counties.