By Shannon Lukens.
Members of the Steamboat Springs Education Association stood in front of their schools Thursday morning, to bring awareness of state funding and public schools.
It has to do with TABOR which is the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which limits the amount of revenue governments in the state can retain and spend. Organizers say TABOR limits the amount of money that goes to school districts, and can restrain how much teachers are paid and how much resources each student receives.
Jennifer Sherman is the Vice President of SSEA, which is the Steamboat Springs Education Association. Today they were there under the umbrella of Colorado Education Association.
“Who is trying to raise awareness of TABOR and all of its efforts to shackle public education, and to bring awareness to our district administration, staff, parents who are dropping kids off this morning, in hopes that they will become educated on why TABOR has taken $29 million from public education right here in Steamboat Springs in hopes that people will start to vote down TABOR as it becomes more apparent on the ballot in future voting years.”
TABOR is part of the Colorado Constitution so it would have to be overturned by a ballot measure.
Sherman explained how TABOR works.
Those outside the schools with signs were trying to raise awareness about the strain TABOR has on schools in the Steamboat Springs School District and the state of Colorado.
- TABOR from the Colorado Legislature
- From The Bell Policy Center — TABOR: Restrictive Tax Policy Limits Colorado’s Potential
- Wikipedia — Taxpayer Bill of Rights
- Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) Information
- TABOR Frequently Asked Questions
- Past TABOR refunds from Department of Revenue
- Colorado Politics; July 3, 2019 — Douglas Bruce launches defense of TABOR law
