Measure's Passage Important to LGBT People

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 27, 2005

Contact: Paul McCarty
Communications Director
press@stonewalldems.org

Denver, CO - Colorado Stonewall Democrats announce their endorsement of The Colorado Economic Recovery Act; a measure appearing on the Nov. 1 ballot as Referenda C&D. Through a resolution adopted by the statewide Democratic LGBT group’s board of directors in August, Stonewall joined over 800 organizations in giving Referenda C&D its endorsement.

“Seeking the passage of Referenda C&D is something Stonewall sees as important to our community in particular,” said Mark Ferrandino, Co-Chair. “Without voters approving the measure, we anticipate seeing sharp cuts in funding for education and for HIV-related services. Our chances of passing legislation in Colorado that move LGBT equality issues forward will also greatly diminish should Referenda C&D fail.”

Beyond cuts to healthcare, and consequently HIV-related services, and education, Stonewall has noted that advances for LGBT equality through legislative pathways would be difficult to garner. Bills such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which was ultimately vetoed by Governor Bill Owens last May, would face even tougher prospects of becoming law. With a shrinking state budget, the money would simply not be there to pay for ENDA’s enforcement. “When there is no money there to enforce a law, it makes it pretty difficult to get it passed,” Ferrandino noted.

Referenda C&D would allow the state government to retain tax surpluses over five years and authorize bonds to help the state catch up on capital improvements. The current fiscal crisis is a result of declining revenues due to economic recession ratcheting the budget down coupled with the TABOR amendment’s restrictions on growth of the state’s base budget. Referendum C authorizes the time-out from TABOR while Referendum D authorizes the bonds for capital improvements.

Without passage of the voter-referred measure, state legislators will have to trim an additional $319 million from the state’s fiscal year 2007 budget according to the nonpartisan Legislative council.

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Colorado Stonewall Democrats engage and educate the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the Democratic Party as advocates for equality through the political process.

www.stonewalldems.org

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