DENVER (KDVR) — Coloradans will be asked to decide two ballot questions this November that were passed by the Colorado General Assembly during its special session this summer.
The questions look similar on their outset: Both ask voters if state taxes should be increased by $95 million annually to support food access in schools. However, they lean on one another to accomplish what lawmakers hoped voters would approve.
Proposition FF was passed in 2022 and was colloquially called “Healthy School Meals for All.” It provides free breakfast and lunch for every public school student in Colorado by limited tax deductions for households that earn over $300,000 each year.
Legislator’s efforts, combined with Colorado’s faltering revenue, have now led to two avenues presented to voters: Proposition LL and Proposition MM.
Proposition LL: Retain and spend
Proposition LL, if passed, would allow the state to keep and spend $12.4 million in tax revenue that was previously collected for the Healthy School Meals for All Program under Proposition FF.
It also maintains the current taxes on households that earn $300,000 or more, as well as the deduction limits approved by voters in 2022 and will allow the state to keep and spend any future revenue collected under those deduction limits. The Colorado State Ballot information booklet, published by the Colorado General Assembly’s Legislative Council, says that currently, the deduction limits will increase, which will decrease the taxes paid by these households.
Finally, Proposition LL ensures the state spends at least $1 million on local food purchasing and technical assistance programs that are part of the Healthy School Meals for All Program, if money is not provided by the passage of Proposition MM.
However, if it fails, the state will refund the $12.4 million to households earning $300,000 or more each year, but deduction limits will change as scheduled under current law, and lower taxes will be paid by these households.
This will mean less money is available for school meals, but it will put tax money back into the pockets of Colorado households earning over $300,000 a year.
If Prop. LL passes, total revenue for the Healthy School Meals for All Program is estimated to reach $150.7 million in tax year 2026.
The ballot question text will say:
“Without raising taxes, may the state keep and spend all revenue generated by the 2022 voter approved state tax deduction limits on individuals with incomes of $300,000 or more and maintain these deduction limits in order to continue funding the healthy school meals for all program, which pays for public schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students in kindergarten through twelfth grade?”
Proposition MM: Increase taxes on higher incomes
Proposition MM would increase state income taxes for households that earn $300,000 or more each year, and those taxes will be used to fully fund free school meals to all public school students.
The proposition, if it passes, would also implement the approved local food purchasing, employee wages and technical assistance, as well as all elements of the Healthy School Meals for All Program. Surplus would be used to help fund SNAP.
However, it would be a tax increase for households earning $300,000 or more annually. That would impact hundreds of thousands of Colorado households, according to the Legislative Council, and on average, those taxpayers would pay an additional $535 each year. The smallest group of taxpayers, those who earn $1 million or more a year, would see their average tax burden increase by approximately $2,045.
If the measure fails, partial funding for the Healthy School Meals for All Program will be available, leading to scale-backs of the program.
The ballot question text will say:
“SHALL STATE TAXES BE INCREASED BY $95 MILLION ANNUALLY BY A CHANGE TO THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES TO SUPPORT ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD FOR COLORADO KIDS AND FAMILIES, INCLUDING THE HEALTHY SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL PROGRAM, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, INCREASING STATE TAXABLE INCOME ONLY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A FEDERAL TAXABLE INCOME OF $300,000 OR MORE BY LIMITING ITEMIZED OR STANDARD STATE INCOME TAX DEDUCTIONS TO $1,000 FOR SINGLE TAX RETURN FILERS AND $2,000 FOR JOINT TAX RETURN FILERS FOR THE PURPOSES OF FULLY FUNDING THE HEALTHY SCHOOL MEALS FOR ALL PROGRAM TO CONTINUE PAYING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO OFFER FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO ALL PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WHILE ALSO INCREASING WAGES FOR EMPLOYEES WHO PREPARE AND SERVE SCHOOL MEALS, HELPING SCHOOLS USE BASIC, NUTRITIOUS INGREDIENTS, INSTEAD OF PROCESSED PRODUCTS, AND ENSURING THAT COLORADO GROWN AND RAISED PRODUCTS ARE PART OF SCHOOL MEALS; SUPPORTING THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) THAT HELPS LOW-INCOME COLORADO FAMILIES AFFORD GROCERIES; AND ALLOWING THE STATE TO RETAIN AND SPEND AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE ALL ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE GENERATED BY THESE TAX DEDUCTION CHANGES?”
Outcomes for both passing, or both failing
If both propositions pass, the state will be able to keep the $12.4 million and raise $95 million more annually, paid for by households earning $300,000 or more each year. It would fully fund the Healthy School Meals for All Program and could provide additional funds for SNAP.
But if both fail, the $12.4 million will be refunded to households earning $300,000 or more, and there will be no new revenue raised for school lunches.
That means the Health School Meals for All Program will be limited to only students in eligible low-income schools and eligible low-income students at all other schools, while grant programs for school meal providers will not be funded. It would also not provide new SNAP funding from Proposition MM.
The election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 4. The last day anyone can submit an application to register to vote through the mail is Monday, Oct. 27, but Colorado allows voter registration to occur even on election day. Poll locations can be found through your county clerk and recorder’s office.
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