Can Polis and Becker Revive the Republican Party? They’re Trying.

The controversial TABOR override the Democratic legislature put on the ballot has already helped revive the Republican Party around an issue that always unites them – opposing taxes and the growth of government.

At the moment, Democrats have abandoned Proposition CC. In desperation, they tried to maneuver a special session that would have made the TABOR change more palatable. But not unexpectedly, the high-profile re-write effort alerted people to the Democratic strategy and provided endless talking points for the Republican opposition. The TABOR override is on the ballot, and Democrats and their allies must make an effort to pass it in the face of unified Republican opposition. Governor Polis, House Speak KC Becker and the Democratic legislative leadership will be dealing with the issue and its impact on their 2020 plans.

But possibly an even greater Democratic misstep was their lightning speed passage of the National Popular Vote legislation. With little discussion or debate, the law could take Colorado out of the Electoral College and link it to the popular vote for president.

The bill, one of the first taken up by Democrats, passed the legislature in February and was signed by Governor Polis with no media coverage in March. But nearly as fast, a group of grassroots activists launched a petition campaign, which just turned in more than 225, 000 signatures for a repeal referendum. The speed and number of signers demonstrates considerable passion and a well-organized opposition.

The vote will be in November 2020 with the presidential election. It will be a distraction for the Democrats from their strategy of a landslide against Donald Trump and for the statewide Democratic ticket. It will be a useful organizing issue for Republicans.

House Speaker KC Becker speaks at a press conference while Gov. Jared
Polis listens in the background, April 2019 | Photo: Scott Franz