CCLP is a go-to source for news reporters

And now for some shameless self-promotion. Colorado is facing a number of important and complex public-policy questions at the moment (what else is new?), and a fair number of news reporters have called on us for analysis and commentary. Some recent examples:

From It's The Economy, a program on KGNU radio, "It's not fair! What's an equitable economic recovery?" featuring Economic Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinator Tracey Stewart.

From Remapping Debate, a new website focused on public-policy issues: "Coloradans to vote on "protection" from health coverage mandates," featuring remarks from Health Care Attorney Adela Flores-Brennan, Oct. 26.

From Colorado News Connection, a radio news service: "One Week to CO Election Day: Does No Debt = Smart Government?" featuring remarks from Policy Analyst Mark Neuman-Lee, Oct. 26.

From KMGH Channel 7 TV in Denver, "Amendment 63: No Mandated Health Insurance In Colorado," featuring remarks from Policy Analyst Alec Harris, Oct. 25.

From the Colorado Springs Gazette, "Amendment 63, health care choice," featuring remarks from Policy analyst Alec Harris, Oct. 23.

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Colorado news roundup: Ritter to release budget details on election day

Apparently the governor is required to release his budget recommendations to the Joint Budget Committee on the first of the month, so an awkward coincidence with the election might be inevitable. But this year's release seems particularly strange because of ballot measures that would so deeply damage the state's ability to pay for public services.

Anyway, details are at the weekday Colorado news roundup, along with links to the rest of the day's public-policy news.

Colorado news roundup: 60, 61 and 101 threaten access to higher education

Is there anything these wreckless measures don't threaten?

Read a column from the Colorado State University president and find links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Amendment 63 could shut down college health services

Three University of Colorado regents announced Tuesday they oppose Amendment 63 because it would shut down student health services provided at state colleges and universities.

It's just one of many reasons to oppose Amendment 63, a complex, costly and partisan measure that would have none of its intended effects but could severely damage Colorado's ability to ensure residents have access to health care.

For details about the regents' position, read the release on the Colorado Deserves Better website.

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Colorado news roundup: The unintended tax consequences of 60, 61 and 101

An accountant in Summit County offers some interesting new insights about Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101. Worth considering.

Check it out along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Newspapers across the state urge 'no' on 60, 61 and 101

Newspapers across Colorado are urging their readers to vote "no" on Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101.

Here's what the Greeley Tribune had to say: "We believe the three amendments on this fall's election ballot will kill economic growth in Colorado, cripple services provided by state and local government, and doom education funding at a time when it already is dismally low."

The Durango Herald was just as concerned: "The 'bad three' really would hurt Colorado. Together, they would cut fees and taxes, require public entities such as colleges to pay property tax, ban all government debt and effectively reduce Colorado to Third World status."

Time before the election is short
Mail ballots have already been delivered, and early voting began last week. You can help defeat these measures by using the buttons below to share this blog with at least five friends. Take a moment and do it now. Remind them to vote "no" on 60, 61 and 101.

The editorial boards in Greeley and Durango have plenty of company. Many other newspapers are advising a "no" vote on Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101 such as the Aurora Sentinel, Boulder Daily Camera, Canon City Daily Record, Colorado Springs Gazette, The Denver Post, Grand Junction Sentinel, The Longmont Times-Call, Pueblo Chieftain, Steamboat Today and Summit Daily News.

Colorado families are at serious risk if voters approve Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101. That's why it's so important to get the word out about their harmful effects.

Consider the potential effect on public safety
Douglas County Sheriff Dave Weaver was only half-joking when he told an audience recently that if the measures pass someone calling 911 would be asked for a credit card and charged for the cost of emergency response.

"That's kind of making light of it, but folks that's where we are headed," Weaver said. "It's not only in Douglas County but also across the state of Colorado."

Consider what might happen to our colleges and universities
"Our college will either become a private institution, charging dramatically higher tuition in order to make up for the reduction in funding from not receiving the state funds, or we will simply will not exist," Northeastern Junior College President Lance Bolton said.

The effects would be sweeping
"Life as we know it today in Morgan County will be gone in terms of quality of life," said Kari Linker, executive director of the Morgan County Economic Development Corp.

"The amendments would hamper the county's ability to deliver basic services, such as fighting forest fires, plowing roads and protecting children. The county will be a very different place if those amendments pass," Larimer County Commissioner Steve Johnson said.

For details on the effects in your county, visit http://www.lookingforwardcolorado.com/.

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Unemployment conditions are worse than you might think

60 Minutes, the CBS newsmagazine, broadcast a fascinating look at unemployment over the weekend. It's worth your time.

Colorado news roundup: Editorial: No good would come from repealing health reform

Yes, some politicians are still talking about repealing federal health reform. And yes, it's puzzling why they would want to restore insurance companies' ability to exclude people with pre-existing conditions. Or why they would want to permit insurance companies to drop people who get sick. Or why they would want to re-establish lifetime caps on coverage. Or why they would want to restore the Medicare prescription drug donut hole, making medicine less affordable for seniors.

An editorial in today's Aurora Sentinel makes a strong case for supporting the reforms enacted in March and, indeed, perhaps accelerating some of the changes. Find a link to the piece along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Remarkably clear thinking on health care reform

The New York Times editorial board on Sunday offered some valuable perspective on health care reform, debunking a few myths in the process. An excerpt:

"Here are a few basic facts that Americans need to keep in mind before they go to the polls, and afterward. First, most aspects of the reform do not go into effect until 2014. Second, things are indeed bad out there: The costs of medical care and insurance premiums are (still) rising, and some employers are (still) dropping coverage. But for that, you should blame the long-standing health care crisis and the current bad economy. Health reform is supposed to help with these problems."


Read the full editorial on the Times' website.

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Colorado news roundup: Poll finds growing opposition to 60, 61 and 101

Fewer and fewer people are in the "undecided" category on Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101.

Get the details along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Out in the cold for the holidays

More than 1 million workers will lose federal jobless benefits Nov. 30 if Congress fails to renew the emergency program, the National Employment Law Project reports today. Here are the first few paragraphs:

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For 20 years, Ms. K. Webb, a 46-year-old single mother of two, was a dedicated office manager who
enjoyed her work and excelled at it, but her employment came to an abrupt halt in October 2008, when she was laid off. Today, Ms. Webb is one of 15 million unemployed Americans still struggling to find work amid the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression. What’s more, she was one of 2.5 million workers who had nowhere left to turn for support when her federal jobless benefits were prematurely cut off this summer due to Congressional gridlock.

By the time Congress finally restored benefits for jobless workers, Ms. Webb had gone nine weeks without this crucial support that she needed and had expected to receive. During that period, she was forced to rely on the local food pantry to feed her family, and she struggled to pay her bills after already having given up her home. Ms. Webb’s battle to survive without the jobless benefits she had counted on to support her family while looking for work is a sobering reminder of what’s at stake for huge numbers of families if Congress fails once more to renew the federal jobless aid program.

Millions will face the same fate as Ms. Webb unless Congress does what’s right and reauthorizes federal jobless benefits. This includes more than one million workers who will lose their benefits in just one month following the expiration of the current program on November 30th. The program deadline falls in the midst of the holiday season, when unemployed families do their best to put food on the table and hold on to their family traditions. It’s also a time when the economy, especially the retail sector, is counting on consumer spending—supported in part by unemployment benefits—to maintain the recovery.

Read the rest of the report.

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Colorado news roundup: Higher ed needs more money, task force says

We didn't need a task force to tell us Colorado's colleges and universities need more money, but still it's good to have independent confirmation.

Check out the story along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: How a Colorado commission influenced health care reform

Remember the 208 Commission? That was the bi-partisan group appointed by the state Legislature a couple of years ago to study reforming health care in Colorado. The commission issued a report, and lawmakers had implemented parts of its recommendations when national health care reform passed last March. Turns out, national health reform had a lot in common with the 208 Commission's recommendations.

Read about it along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

And remember to check out our research on health reform.

Estate tax affects very few Coloradans

Less than 1 percent of deaths in Colorado in 2008 resulted in estate tax liability in 2009, according to figures Citizens for Tax Justice reported in a paper released today. In all, the federal estate tax applied to only 257 estates in Colorado last year.

The paper offers lots of context and detail about how the estate tax works and the possible consequences of different proposals to change it. Highlights:

• "The estate tax that would exist under President Obama’s tax plan would affect even fewer estates, which demonstrates why Congress should consider enacting a more robust estate tax than what President Obama proposes."
• "The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has estimated that President Obama’s estate tax proposal would reduce taxes by about $253 billion over the next ten years, compared to simply allowing the pre-Bush estate tax rules to come back into effect in 2011 as scheduled under current law."
• "IRS data show that for the 0.6 percent of deaths [nationwide] in 2008 that resulted in estate tax liability in 2009, the effective estate tax rate was 20.4 percent. (The effective rate for the other 99.4 percent of people who died was zero percent.)"

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How to benefit from the Recovery Act

Some of our friends at allied nonprofit organizations are putting on an event in Colorado Springs next week to tell people how they can find jobs, get unemployment insurance and qualify for tax breaks thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The event is set for 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado office, 315 E. Costilla St. Anyone may attend. Dinner and child care will be provided. To ask questions or RSVP, call Maggie Gomez or Rosemary Harris Lytle at 303-638-0925 or 800-522-0925.

The Recovery Act was passed in 2009 to help people and communities most hurt by the Great Recession. It's specifically designed to help people who've lost their jobs or need other financial assistance.

The community forum is sponsored by 9to5 National Association of Working Women, NAACP, the Colorado Progressive Coalition and FRESC: Good Jobs, Strong Communities.



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Radio ad: Vote 'no' on the numbers

Check out this radio advertisement advising a 'no' vote on Colorado's Amendment 60, Amendment 61, Amendment 62, Amendment 63 and Proposition 101. The Denver Post's politics blog, The Spot, has a script for the ad.

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Colorado news roundup: Sept. state tax collections higher than forecast

It's good news for the economy and vital public services, although plenty of challenges remain. Read about it along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

New fiscal security project launches today

Here's a news release from our pals at three national think tanks:

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Washington, DC, October 18, 2010 — The Century Foundation, Demos and the Economic Policy Institute launch “Our Fiscal Security” today, a partnership that will present a new framework for thinking about the federal budget.

 

Our Fiscal Security promotes a budget path that balances fiscal responsibility with priorities designed to strengthen the American economy. The partners believe that the foundation of that strength—a secure and growing middle class—is being tested by falling incomes, lost wealth, high unemployment and record foreclosures. Rather than making the choices necessary to reestablish a solid economic foundation, some politicians are succumbing to a slash-and-burn approach to the federal budget.

Our Fiscal Security has created a one-stop shop for progressive economic analysis and leadership on fiscal priorities, http://www.ourfiscalsecurity.org/, which features extensive commentary, research and analysis on crucial budget issues, including tax policy, public investment, healthcare spending and economic recovery. Visitors to the website will find three provocative videos that expose the scare tactics used to drive the current discourse about Social Security and our long-term fiscal outlook. They can also sign on to a statement of principles outlining a “responsible path to recovery and prosperity”:

• Jobs First
• Invest In America
• Protect Social Security
• Fix The Real Problem: Health Care Costs
• No More Tax Cuts For The Wealthiest
• Reward Work, Not Just Wealth
• Hold Wall Street Accountable

The partnership will develop on-going research and analysis, provide expert commentary and produce reports. In November, the partnership will publish a detailed fiscal blueprint to establish a policy agenda for a sustainable recovery, as well as an animated video that will explain, in lay terms, how the fiscal outlook has deteriorated—and how we can stimulate job growth without cutting essential programs.

Colorado news roundup: How Amendments 60 and 61 would affect affordable housing

How would Amendments 60 and 61 affect affordable housing? Here's a hint: Not favorably.

Check out the commentary in the Boulder Daily Camera along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Remember, there's tons of detail about Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101 at the Looking Forward website.

Economic security indicators for Colorado better than the nation, but not by much

Colorado is doing slightly better than the nation by several measures of economic insecurity, a new report by the National Women's Law Center shows.

The report tabulates six indicators of economic security for every state and the nation as a whole. Colorado's rates of poverty, unemployment, and the proportion of people lacking health insurance are better than the national averages, although not by much, the report shows. Another category, called the "wage gap," shows the difference between median earnings for men and women.

"The wage gap between median earnings for men and women persisted in 2009: women working full-time, year round were paid only 77 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts, a disparity unchanged from 2008. The wage gap makes it more difficult for families relying on women’s wages to achieve and maintain economic security," the law center said in a separate report offering a more thorough analysis of women’s poverty at a national level.
The wage gap was slightly narrower in Colorado. Women here make 79.3 cents for every dollar paid to their male counterparts.

Here's a look at the national numbers along with those for Colorado and four neighboring states. Click the image for a larger view.

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Video: The case for extending the unemployment lifeline

From our friends at the National Employment Law Project.

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Colorado news roundup: 60, 61 and 101 would reverse economic gains

Colorado news roundup: 60, 61 and 101 would reverse economic gains. At least that's the conclusion of a commentator in the Fort Collins Coloradoan. Some of us might be asking "what economic gains?" At any rate, there's a reason these are called the "Bad Three."

Check out the commentary along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Mail ballots are out, and early voting is about to begin. If you're not up to speed on Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101 yet, check out the Looking Forward website.

Colorado news roundup: College president: Public services aren't free

An online-only commentary at The Denver Post site expresses some of the frustration folks at our state's colleges and universities are feeling. Check it out along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Video: Learn about Colorado's ballot measures

The Colorado League of Women Voters and the Colorado Social Legislation Committee teamed up to host speakers for and against each ballot initiative on Oct. 5.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Colorado news roundup: CU system postpones cap on tuition increases

The University of Colorado was considering a 4 percent cap on tuition increases for in-state students, but members of the Board of Regents shelved the idea Wednesday. Read about it and find links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Boulder Daily Camera recommends a 'no' vote on Amendment 63

And so does the Colorado Center on Law and Policy. Here's the upshot from the Boulder Daily Camera's editorial, published today: "The Camera editorial board recommends voting "no" on Amendment 63 -- an anti-health care reform measure that, while not negating the federal health care reform, would certainly have unintended and potentially quite costly consequences in Colorado."


Check the CCLP website for our analysis of Amendment 63.

A compelling metaphor for the debate over the stimulus

Check out this video from the Economic Policy Institute, one of our national allies. It's a pretty concise way of looking at the debate over the Recovery Act.

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Colorado news roundup: Faith and community groups want foreclosure freeze

Faith and community groups are calling for a nationwide freeze on foreclosures, the Denver Daily News reports. Check it out, along with links to all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Proposition 102 won't enhance safety, Post editorial says

The Colorado Center on Law and Policy opposes Proposition 102, a position The Denver Post editorial board echoed today.  Find links to the editorial and all the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Recovery Act funds weatherization program

Today's Colorado news roundup highlights a prudent investment: The Denver Post reports on a program that has military veterans weatherizing homes, paid for by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Check it out, along with links to all the day's public-policy news.

How the Recovery Act is improving efficiency and boosting clean energy in Colorado

It really is hard to overstate the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Not only did the Recovery Act pull the nation back from a potential economic depression, in the broader sense it is "changing America," as Time magazine demonstrated in a report a while back.

Aside from all those tax cuts and credits, the help paying for improved child-care assistance and piles of other provisions, the Recovery Act is also boosting the nation's move toward energency efficiency and better clean energy infrastructure. For details, check this fascinating "Colorado Recovery Act Snapshot" from the U.S. Department of Energy. Just the top-line figures are pretty impressive:

• Funding for selected DOE projects: $585.62 million
• DOE Recovery Act projects in Colorado: 115
• Clean energy tax credits and grants: 62
• Total Recovery Act funding for DOE projects and clean energy tax programs (as of June 1): $768.20 million

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Recovery Act money improves child-care assistance in Colorado

Colorado is among only a few states that have improved child-care assistance policies during the Great Recession, enabling more people to work and look for jobs, thanks to money that was part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

A new report from the National Women's Law Center compares child care policies in all the states and finds most did not change their policies significantly from February 2009 to February 2010. Colorado, though, is one of nine states using Recovery Act (also known as ARRA) funds expand access to child care assistance for parents searching for a job, the report finds.

"Colorado is using ARRA funds to increase the amount of time parents can receive child care assistance while searching for a job from thirty days to 180 days (in a twelve-month period). The expanded policy went into effect as of April 2009. The state will revert to the previous p9olicy when ARRA expires," the report says.

Colorado received $24.3 million from the Recovery Act in fiscal year 2009 to improve child care quality and access, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Some other highlights from the National Women's Law Center report:

• Eleven states, including Colorado, expected to have increases in their waiting lists for child care assistance. County-based waiting lists in Colorado in early 2010 included 1,455 children. There were no waiting lists in early 2009.
• Income eligibility for child-care assistance varies by county in Colorado. For a family of three, the annual income limit ranges from $23,803 to $54,108, or 130 percent to 296 percent of the federal poverty level.
• Colorado's monthly copayment for child-care assistance for a family of three earning 150 percent of the federal poverty level is $155, or 7 percent of family income. That's down from 11 percent of family income in 2009. The percentage of family income for copayments varies among the states from 3 percent to 18 percent.
• Thanks to an expansion under the Recovery Act, Colorado offers child-care assistance to qualifying families for longer than most other states. At 180 days, Colorado's limit is longer than neighborhing states such as Wyoming (60 days), Utah (100 hours), Arizona (60 days), New Mexico (30 days), Oklahoma (30 days) and Nebraska (two months).

But are Colorado's child-care assistance policies as well-designed as they could be? Are there lessons Colorado should learn from other states? Please discuss in the comments section with this blog.

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Colorado news roundup: Federal law provides $17.2 million in loans for state's small businesses

Check out the story on small-business loans today if you get a chance. Or, if you haven't had enough, there's even more news of opposition to Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101.

It's all in the weekday Colorado news roundup.

CCLP is the new Colorado partner for the Elder Economic Security Initiative

Here's the text of a news release issued Sept. 27 announcing the Colorado Center on Law and Policy's selection as state partner for Wider Opportunities for Women's Elder Economic Security Initiative.

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Wider Opportunities for Women Announces New Elder Economic Security Initiative State Partners


WASHINGTON, DC – Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) announces the expansion of its Elder Economic Security Initiative™ (Initiative) to five new states: Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina, South Dakota and Washington. The Initiative is a national campaign to ensure that all older Americans are able to age in place with dignity and economic security. Today marks WOW’s official partnership with the Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans, North Carolina Alliance for Retired Americans, Experience Works South Dakota, and the Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging and expands WOW’s partnership with the Colorado Center on Law and Policy.

“WOW is pleased to extend the Initiative at time when Americans are increasingly concerned about having economic security in retirement,” said Stacy Sanders, Director of the Elder Economic Security Initiative. “Through the Initiative, our new partners will gain a framework and tools to promote a cornerstone of the American dream, a secure retirement, for their state’s elders and families.”

Now functioning in 17 states, the Initiative demonstrates through its framework and tools that elders cannot make ends meet merely living above the federal poverty level nor by living on Social Security alone. A key component of the Initiative is the Elder Economic Security Standard™ Index (Elder Index), a geographically-based measure of economic security. Developed by WOW in collaboration with the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston, the national Elder Index shows that the average Social Security benefit of $12,526 for a single elder woman provides just 51-76% of what is needed to be economically secure depending on housing and health status.

“Suggested cuts to Social Security at a time when Americans of all ages are struggling to pay the bills sound an alarm for action,” said Sanders. “The Elder Index shows that current Social Security benefits in and of themselves are not enough to meet basic needs. With more and more retirees likely to rely solely on these benefits cuts would push future retirees further away from economic security.”

The Elder Index, to be released next year in each of these new states, will provide a snapshot of what it truly costs to retire, including housing, health care, food, transportation, other essentials and, when needed, home and community-based long-term care at the state and county levels. “Moving forward, the Initiative will continue to build economic security for America’s seniors through the development of research-driven policy agendas developed by national and local experts,” said Sanders. “Older Americans have spent a lifetime working hard and playing by the rules and they deserve to have a secure retirement.”

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Facing a revenue crisis, Colorado is not alone

State revenues are falling like a ...

Colorado's budget troubles are from unique. Across the nation, 46 states had to cut services to account for a combined $125 billion shortfall in fiscal year 2010-11, which began July 1 for most states including Colorado.

The shortfall got even worse in Colorado, five other states and the District of Columbia after their governing bodies passed 2010-11 budgets. Colorado must close a mid-year shortfall of $257 million, or 3.6 percent of the state budget, thanks to lower-than-expected revenues. That looks small compared to the mid-year shortfall in Washington, $770 million or 4.8 percent of the state budget.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities highlighted the numbers in a report issued today, "States continue to feel recession's impact."

"The fact that the gaps have been filled and budgets are balanced does not end the story," the center said. "Families hit hard by the recession will experience the loss of vital services throughout the year, and the negative impact on the economy will continue."

Visit our website for more analysis of Colorado's state budget from the Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute.

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Colorado news roundup: State's colleges seek tuition hikes of 9 to 21 percent

It shouldn't be a surprise. Charging more tuition is necessary because of state budget cuts.

Another interesting headline from today: The Colorado Division of Insurance says just two health insurance companies are now offering child-only plans. We've covered that issue in-depth in our weekly Health Law and Policy Update.

Check out the details along with links to the rest of the day's public-policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

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Colorado's income tax rate lower than most states

Our pals at the Public Assets Institute in Vermont came out with some fascinating research last month about the "effective tax rate" on income in each of the 50 states. It's tough to compare income tax rates across states because the states' tax systems are structured quite differently. Vermont, for example, has a progressive income tax system -- higher tax rates are applied to higher levels of taxable income. The income tax rate is flat in Colorado -- 4.63 percent on taxable income for people who make $40,000 or $4 million per year.

That's where comparing effective tax rates becomes useful. Researchers at the Public Assets Institute calculated the effective tax rate by dividing total income taxes paid by the total of residents' adjusted gross incomes. The resulting percentage offers a fair comparison of effective tax rates among the states, and there's considerable variation.

Oregon is No. 1, with an effective income tax rate of 7 percent. Seven states have no income tax, so their effective rate is 0 percent: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

And where does Colorado come out? We are ranked No. 29, with an effective income tax rate of 3.6 percent. That rate is lower than 28 other states.

Low tax rates are a point of pride for many Coloradans. But our low tax rates are also a direct cause of Colorado's perpetual fiscal crisis, which is likely to get much worse in the next year or so.

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Colorado families benefit from health care reform

Almost a half-million Coloradans are slated to get tax credits beginning in 2014 under the terms of the Affordable Health Care Act, according to a new report coming out today. Adela Flores-Brennan, who studies the economic impacts of health care issues for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, says that will have a real effect.


Listen to Adela's interview with the Public News Service, broadcast on radio stations all over Colorado.

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Colorado news roundup: Editorials, analysts and a rally convene to oppose 60, 61 and 101

A big pile of news coverage today adds to the already-huge body of work showing why Colorado voters should oppose Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101.

Check it out at the weekday Colorado news roundup, along with links to the rest of the day's public-policy news.

Oh, and this is a good chance to share a video produced by our friends at the Bell Policy Center and Progress Now. You won't find a better quick explanation of 60, 61 and 101.

Picture of the day: Your federal tax receipt

Kudos to our friends at the Oregon Center for Public Policy for blogging about a simple (and accurate) way of thinking about the federal taxes we pay. Check it out at the center's Oregon Economics Blog.

The author raises a good question: Is this a good deal? Discussion is welcome.

Also find more of our take on federal tax and budget issues on the Colorado Center on Law and Policy website.

Colorado news roundup: Kaiser ranks No. 1 among state's health insurers

Kaiser ranked No. 1 among Colorado's health insurers in a recent survey. The Grand Junction Sentinel editorial board advises a "no" vote on Amendment 63. And some folks want the foreclosure freeze implemented in other states to be extended to Colorado.

Those are a few of the stories in today's Colorado news roundup. Check it out. Remember, the weekday roundup is also available as an e-mail.

Colorado news roundup: Few cities, school districts asking voters for tax increases

Among the top headlines in today's Colorado news roundup:

The Denver Post: Few cities asking voters to raise taxes amid economic woes
Voters last year were reluctant to endorse any new taxes, and most governments decided against even asking for new or increased levies in the Nov. 2 general election.
Also: The Denver Post: Handful of Colo. school districts ask voters to approve more funding

Check out those stories along with links to all the day's public policy news at the weekday Colorado news roundup.

Colorado news roundup: Cuts threaten services for people with developmental disabilities

Among the items in today's edition of the Colorado news roundup:

Colorado Springs Gazette: Budget cuts threaten area's 'most vulnerable citizens'
Services to help developmentally disabled people and their families in the Pikes Peak region are hard enough to come by. Beginning today, they could shrink even more.

Check it out along with links to all the day's public-policy news.