Colorado Voters Face Income Tax Freeze and Hunting Rights on November Ballot

The gold dome of the Colorado Capitol sits in downtown Denver, but the real action is happening in living rooms across the state. Two initiatives cleared their signature thresholds Thursday. They land on the November ballot.

Colorado voters will decide whether to freeze the state’s income tax rate at 4.4%. They will also decide if hunting and fishing are constitutionally protected rights.

The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office confirmed the paperwork. Initiative 232 and Initiative 302 are in.

Initiative 232 comes from Advance Colorado, a conservative nonprofit that keeps its donors secret. The goal is clear: block a competing plan to raise taxes on the wealthy.

That competitor, Initiative 195, targets households and corporations earning over $500,000. It would raise their rates up to 8.4%. Meanwhile, it cuts the current 4.4% rate for those earning under $100,000.

The math is significant. Proponents estimate Initiative 195 raises $2 billion annually. That money flows into K-12 schools, healthcare, and early childhood programs.

If voters approve both 195 and 232, the courts may have to untangle the mess.

Chris deGruy Kennedy, former state representative and head of the Bell Policy Center, sees a few paths forward. The bell policy center leads the effort for Initiative 195.

First, the constitutional requirement that all income taxes be imposed at the same rate could vanish.

Second, if 195 wins more votes than 232, the graduated tax takes effect.

Third, if 232 wins more votes, the current flat rate stays. Or, rates drop for those earning under $100,000. That scenario actually reduces state revenue.

Kennedy notes that supporters of 195 can simply return to the ballot in a future year. They would pursue a statutory change instead of a constitutional amendment. That path has looser signature and referral rules.

Initiative 302 is different. It establishes a "right of the people of Colorado to hunt, fish, and take fish and wildlife."

The T. Roosevelt Conservation Alliance, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, pushed for this measure. They want hunting and fishing declared the preferred means of managing wildlife populations.

This is a direct response to recent restrictions. Proposition 91 in 2024 failed, but it signaled a shift toward limiting hunting rights.

Neighbors on the Western Slope feel this tension acutely. We rely on public lands. We rely on the water that feeds them. A constitutional right doesn't just sound nice. It limits what state agencies can do with permits and quotas.

The income tax cap matters to everyone who files a return. The hunting right matters to those who hold a license or own land near the river.

Both measures are now locked in for November. The debate shifts from signatures to messaging. Advance Colorado needs to convince voters that freezing the rate is better than risking a $2 billion boost for schools. The T. Roosevelt Conservation Alliance needs to convince voters that restricting agency power won't lead to overpopulation or closed waters.

Kennedy’s analysis suggests the court system is the final referee if voters send mixed signals. But for now, the ballot is set.

Read that again. The income tax cap and the hunting right are no longer just ideas. They are choices.