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Senate adopts transportation funding bill designed to blunt Initiative 175 after heated floor fight
Summary
House Bill 14‑30, a legislative response that would offset the financial effects of Initiative 175 if voters approve it, passed the Senate May 12 after extensive, often contentious debate over democracy, budget tradeoffs and working‑group timetables.
The Colorado Senate debated House Bill 14‑30 at length on May 12. Sponsors described the measure as a contingency and negotiation vehicle: if the voters approve Initiative 175 (a constitutional amendment dedicating specified transportation revenues to roads), HB14‑30 would reduce some transportation tax and fee rates for a limited period and establish a working group to seek compromise solutions and funding offsets.
Opponents framed the bill as an effort by the legislature to neutralize a voter‑driven ballot measure; Senator Kirk Mayer and several others called it a threat to the initiative process. Sponsor Senator Linstead said the measure was crafted to protect essential public services if the initiative took effect and to create a stakeholder working group to reconcile priorities. Floor amendments adjusted working‑group appointments and deadlines; the Senate rejected several amendment proposals and adopted the bill on the floor after a recorded sequence of votes. Debate frequently returned to the trade‑off between dedicated road funding and the state budget cap.
