2020 Colorado Proposition EE

Colorado Proposition EE (also the Taxes on Nicotine Products Proposition) was a legislative referendum that appeared on ballots in Colorado in the November 2020 elections. It was a proposal to increase taxes on nicotine products and place a new tax on vaping products.

Proposition EE
Taxes on Nicotine Products
Results
Response
 Votes %
Yes 2,134,608 67.56%
No 1,025,182 32.44%
Valid votes 3,159,790 95.88%
Invalid or blank votes 135,876 4.12%
Total votes 3,295,666 100.00%
Registered voters/turnout 3,793,790 86.87%
Source:Colorado Public Radio[1]
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Proposal

Proposition EE originates from HB20-1427, a law that would increase taxes on cigarettes and nicotine products. As all tax increases have to be approved by voters under the Colorado Constitution, a Proposition was needed for the law to enter into effect.[2]

The Proposition raises taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products, and levies a new tax on nicotine products. Under the proposal, these increases would be phased in between 2021 and 2027, resulting in a tax on cigarettes of $2.64 per pack (up from $0.84), a tax on other tobacco products of 62% of the price which they are sold to retailers at (up from 40%) and a new tax on nicotine products, also set at 62%. Additionally, the Proposition raised the minimum sale price of various nicotine products.[2]

It is estimated that Proposition EE would generate up to $175.6m extra tax in its first budget year, rising to $275.9m by the time the new rates are fully in place. This would be used to increase funding for free preschool provision (an election pledge of Governor Jared Polis)[3] as well as being used in rural schools, K-12 education, housing development, and general state spending.[2]

Campaign

Support

HB20-1427, the legislation which put Proposition EE on the ballot, was sponsored by Representatives Yadira Caraveo and Julie McCluskie and Senators Rhonda Fields and Dominick Moreno.[4]

Endorsements
'Yes'
State legislators
Newspapers
Organisations

Opposition

Opposition to Proposition EE mainly centered around opposition to increasing taxes in general but specifically because the Proposition was seen to be a sin tax. It was also noted by progressive groups, such as the Working Families Party, who opposed the Proposition that it would disproportionately affect poorer and working-class people, because they were more targeted by tobacco companies.[26]

Endorsements
'No'
State legislators
Local politicians
Newspapers
Organisations

Neutral
Neutral

Results

Ballot question

The question put to voters was:[35]

Shall state taxes be increased by $294,000,000 annually by imposing a tax on nicotine liquids used in e-cigarettes and other vaping products that is equal to the total state tax on tobacco products when fully phased in, incrementally increasing the tobacco products tax by up to 22% of the manufacturer's list price, incrementally increasing the cigarette tax by up to 9 cents per cigarette, expanding the existing cigarette and tobacco taxes to apply to sales to consumers from outside of the state, establishing a minimum tax for moist snuff tobacco products, creating an inventory tax that applies for future cigarette tax increases, and initially using the tac revenue primarily for public school funding to help offset revenue that has been lost as a result of the economic impacts related to COVID-19 and then for programs that reduce the use of tobacco and nicotine products, enhance the voluntary Colorado Preschool Program and make it widely available for free, and maintain the funding for programs that currently receive revenue from tobacco taxes, with the state keeping and spending all of the new tax revenue as a voter-approved revenue change?

Results
Taxes on Nicotine Products[36]
Choice Votes %
Yes 2,134,608 67.56
No 1,025,182 32.44
Valid votes 3,159,790 95.88
Invalid or blank votes 135,876 4.12
Total votes 3,295,666 100.00
Registered voters and turnout 3,793,790 86.87

See also

References
  1. "Colorado 2020 Statewide Ballot Measures: What Passed And What Failed". Colorado Public Radio. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  2. "2020 State Ballot Information Booklet" (PDF). colorado.gov. 2020 State Ballot Information BookletLegislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly. 11 September 2020. pp. 24–31. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  3. Erica Meltzer; Ann Schimke (29 January 2020). "What happened to free? Colorado Gov. Polis has changed how he talks about preschool". Colorado Sun. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  4. "HB20-1427 Cigarette Tobacco And Nicotine Products Tax". Colorado General Assembly. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  5. Yadira Caraveo; Rhonda Fields (18 September 2020). "Prop. EE takes down tobacco, uplifts our kids". Colorado Politics. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  6. Erica Breunlin (19 June 2020). "Voters will decide in November whether all Colorado 4-year-olds can attend preschool starting in 2023". Colorado Sun. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  7. Chris Kennedy (7 October 2020). "So many ballot measures, so little time". Chris Kennedy for State Rep. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  8. Jared Polis (31 October 2020). "Jared Polis: Proposition EE will help our schools, economy and public health". The Denver Post. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  9. "Senator Tammy Story". Facebook. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  10. "Preschool for Colorado". Aspen Daily News. 10 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  11. "ENDORSEMENT: Vote 'yes' on Prop EE and reduce addiction". Colorado Springs Gazette. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  12. Editorial Board (18 October 2020). "Endorsement: How can Colorado help prevent teens from getting addicted to nicotine? Voting yes on Prop EE is a good start". The Denver Post. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  13. "Endorsements: A strong broadside against nicotine use". The Durango Herald. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  14. "Endorsements 2020: The issues recapped". The Durango Herald. 29 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  15. "Ballot cheat sheet: from Gallagher to gambling, we got the goods". Durango Telegraph. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  16. "Yes on Proposition EE". Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  17. "EDITORIAL: Our endorsements on the 11 2020 state ballot initiatives". Journal Advocate. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  18. "EDITORIAL: Recoup the real cost of tobacco, nicotine addiction: Yes on Prop EE". Sentinel Colorado. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  19. "AFT Colorado Connection 3rd Quarter 2020" (PDF). AFT Colorado. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  20. "American Lung Association Celebrates Colorado Tobacco Control Proposition Election Results". American Lung Association. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  21. "Voting FAQs". Colorado Democratic Party. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  22. "CEA media release: The Colorado Education Association Releases Member Voting Recommendations for Upcoming 2020 Election". Colorado Education Association. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  23. "2020 Ballot Efforts". Mental Health Colorado. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  24. "2020 Business Ballot Guide". Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  25. "The Women's Foundation of Colorado Releases Nonpartisan 2020 Ballot Guide, The Womanifesto". PR Web. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  26. "Colorado Racial Justice Ballot Guide". Working Families Party. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  27. John Cooke (16 October 2020). "John Cooke: Proposition EE is wrong for Coloradans". Greeley Tribune. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  28. Françoise Bergan (6 October 2020). "FRANÇOISE BERGAN: Proposition EE ignores Coloradan's needs". Sentinel Colorado. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  29. "Vote Guide 2020". Boulder Weekly. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  30. "Greeley Tribune Endorsement: Proposition EE would be unfair, could be ineffective". Greeley Tribune. 31 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  31. "Our View: Statewide ballot initiatives require careful study". Steamboat Pilot & Today. 22 October 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  32. Steve Moreno (11 October 2020). "Steve Moreno: Proposition EE is wrong for Colorado". Greeley Tribune. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  33. Wendy Howell (31 October 2020). "Op-Ed: The Progressive Case Against Proposition EE". Westword. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  34. "Proposition EE Tobacco and E-Cigarette Tax Increase" (PDF). Rocky Mountain Synod. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  35. "Proposition EE Taxes on Nicotine Products" (PDF). colorado.gov. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  36. "Official Results". Colorado Election Results, 2020 General Election. 3 November 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
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