DENVER — Colorado Republicans keep saying the words "special session" like it is something you say three times and it magically appears.
They want Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to call a special legislative session if voters reject Proposition HH.
Prop HH is the ballot issue that would offset some of your property tax increases with TABOR refunds.
Republicans already have draft bills ready to go.
Democrats, including the governor, have no backup plan, at least no plan that they have admitted to publicly.
At a news conference on Wednesday, House and Senate Republicans used the words “special session” 15 times.
“Today, just outside the governor's office, we renew this call, ‘Mr. Governor, please call a special session,’” said State Senate Minority Leader Paul Lundeen, (R) Monument.
During the 9NEWS/Denver Gazette Prop HH debate on Monday night, Polis made it clear in his non-answer that a special session is not happening.
"Are you going to call a special session if Prop HH fails?” moderator Marshall Zelinger asked.
"Again, they come back in January, whether it's November or January…” Polis started to say without answering.
“We are pushing our way into the conversation at this point,” Lundeen said.
If Prop HH fails, the Republicans announced three bill proposals they would introduce in a special session, or even next year.
Two of those bills include chunks of what Prop HH does, but without reducing or eliminating TABOR refunds to the extent that Prop HH would.
One bill would allow seniors 65 and older, who live in their homes 10 years or longer, the ability to take their property tax exemption with them to a new home, which Prop HH does too. But their bill would also double the benefit from up to $100,000 to up to $200,000.
“We pay for this refund, this exemption, from our TABOR surplus,” said State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton.
The second bill would do the math changes to property tax bills that Prop HH would do. It makes part of a property’s value tax-free and reduces the assessment rate percentage that is used to calculate a property tax bill.
The third bill is a wildcard as a result of Monday night’s Prop HH debate.
“To be honest with you, in all of the months that Senator Kirkmeyer and I hung out, income tax was not top of mind, but clearly it was for the governor on Monday. So, we decided that we would love to take the governor up on his offer to reduce the income tax rate,” said State Rep. Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs.
During Monday night’s debate, Polis mentioned his support of reducing the state’s income tax, which he has said in multiple State of the State addresses. If the state brings in fewer dollars, that will mean fewer dollars needing to be refunded through a TABOR refund. Though, Prop HH relies on a good chunk of that TABOR refund money to be able to backfill school districts for the property tax money it would be lacking if Prop HH passes.
State Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy, D-Lakewood, watched as the Republicans held their news conference, but would not say if the legislature should be called back in for a special session if Prop HH fails.
“I honestly am not sure,” deGruy Kennedy said. “The Governor has made his views very clear on this right. The governor has made very clear that he's not calling a special session. So, I'm not really banking on that.”
He toed the Democratic line and refused to say if there was a backup plan because by all accounts, Democrats do not have a backup plan.
“It's obvious they are trying to create a narrative so that people can vote no on Prop HH thinking that there's something better out there. And I'll tell you what, I'm not sure there is,” deGruy Kennedy said.
“I would support a special session, 100%,” said State Sen. Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins. “This ballot initiative, as it was and as it was passed, needs further discussion.”
There is one Democrat who did not get the memo that it is Prop HH or bust.
Ginal, who herself voted in favor of the bill that put Prop HH on the ballot, is against Prop HH and for a special session if it fails.
“It wasn't done in a way that isn’t a Democratic way where people have the option to come and talk about, in committee, the pros and the cons and why they're for it or why they're against it. People didn't have their say,” Ginal said. “I really would like this ballot initiative to be opposed, and that we go back and we talk about it, and we have more transparency.”
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