Colorado ASP Leadership Team

2026 ASP Colorado Ballot Recommendations

Dear Colorado ASP Members,

The Colorado State ASP Leadership recommends the following votes on the ballot proposals appearing before Colorado voters this election. These positions reflect our commitment to consistent life ethics, economic justice, environmental stewardship, and the common good.

While we offer these recommendations as guidance, we encourage each member to study the proposals and vote according to their conscience. Our goal is to provide perspective rooted in our party's principles of solidarity, subsidiarity, and human dignity.

Please review the attached recommendations and feel free to reach out with questions or feedback.

In solidarity,

The Colorado ASP Leadership Team

2026 ASP Colorado Ballot Recommendations

Amendment 81 — Communication with Federal Immigration Agencies: NO

Public safety and responsible cooperation with federal immigration authorities are important. However, detailed law-enforcement reporting requirements should be addressed through legislation, where they can be reviewed and revised. Voters can hold legislators accountable for those decisions without placing these procedures in the state constitution.

Amendment 82 — Right to Natural Gas: NO

Energy policy should balance affordability, reliability, consumer choice, and environmental responsibility. Establishing a constitutional right to purchase and sell a particular fuel unnecessarily restricts future policy choices. These questions belong in the legislative and regulatory process.

Amendment 83 — Hunting and Fishing: NO

Responsible hunting and fishing deserve protection and can play important roles in wildlife management. However, constitutionally designating them as the preferred management methods is unnecessary. Wildlife policy should retain flexibility to respond to scientific evidence and changing conditions.

Amendment 84 — Mail Ballot Voter Identification: NO

Election integrity and voter privacy both deserve protection. Requiring identifying numbers on the outside of a mail ballot raises privacy concerns and creates another requirement that voters must satisfy. Any additional identification requirements should demonstrate clear benefits and adequately protect personal information.

Amendment 85 — Plain Language Ballot Questions: YES, WITH CONCERNS

Voters deserve clear, understandable ballot questions. An eighth-grade reading standard may improve accessibility, but simpler wording does not guarantee neutrality or completeness. Implementation must preserve essential information and prevent misleading descriptions.

Amendment 86 — Congressional Redistricting: NO

Fair districts and protection against partisan manipulation are essential. However, we are not persuaded that additional constitutional restrictions on changes to congressional maps are necessary. Colorado should preserve an accountable process that can respond appropriately when legitimate corrections are needed.

Amendment 87 — Graduated Income Tax: NO

Taxation according to ability to pay is compatible with solidarity and the common good. Our objection concerns this proposal's spending commitments and whether its accountability provisions are sufficient. We would prefer clearer evidence of effective spending and stronger assurances of measurable benefits before approving it.

Proposition NN — Education Funding and TABOR Revenue Limits: NO

Teachers and students deserve adequate support. Before authorizing greater retention of tax revenue, the state should demonstrate that existing education spending prioritizes classrooms and addresses unnecessary administrative costs. Although the measure includes independent audits, we remain concerned about its effect on taxpayer refunds.

Proposition 132 — Fentanyl Penalties: YES

Fentanyl has devastated families and communities. We support stronger accountability for those who manufacture and distribute dangerous drugs. Enforcement should also distinguish trafficking from addiction and provide meaningful treatment and rehabilitation.

Proposition 133 — Penalties for Human Trafficking of a Minor: NO

The sexual exploitation of children demands strong penalties, effective prevention, and comprehensive support for survivors. However, mandatory life imprisonment without parole eliminates ordinary consideration of rehabilitation and individual circumstances. We support severe penalties that retain a carefully controlled opportunity for review without guaranteeing release.

Proposition 134 — Participation in School Sports: YES

We support protecting fair opportunities for female athletes and maintaining appropriate sex-based athletic categories. Schools should implement these rules with respect for every student's dignity, privacy, and access to suitable athletic opportunities.

Proposition 135 — Prohibition of Certain Surgeries on Minors: YES

We support prohibiting surgery intended to alter a minor's biological sex characteristics. Young people experiencing gender distress deserve compassionate support, protection from bullying, and appropriate mental health care. Concern for their wellbeing should guide both public policy and personal treatment.

Proposition 136 — Income Tax Rate Cap: NO

We oppose adding a fixed statutory ceiling that could constrain future tax reform. Tax policy should allow voters to consider fair and responsible alternatives, including taxation based on ability to pay.

Proposition 137 — Sporting Goods Sales Tax Revenue for Conservation: NO

Care for creation is an important ASP principle, but conservation funding should be weighed alongside education, health care, and support for struggling families. Proposition 137 dedicates tax revenue to particular programs and allows the state to retain additional revenue. We favor addressing conservation needs through the regular budget process, where competing needs can be considered together.

Front Range Passenger Rail District, Ballot Issue 7A: NO

Passenger rail could provide valuable transportation and environmental benefits which the ASP supports. However, we are not persuaded that this proposal sufficiently justifies the requested tax and borrowing authority. Before approving those commitments, voters deserve convincing evidence concerning construction costs, operating subsidies, ridership, delivery schedules, and financial risks.