Opponents say Amendment 85 isn’t necessary. Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed a law requiring ballot titles to be written in “accessible language,” which is defined as language that is understood by the widest possible audience.
They also say Amendment 85 would prevent state lawmakers from passing laws requiring certain language to be included in ballot questions, such as explaining the complicated impact of proposals that spend tax dollars on the rest of the state’s budget.
Joshua Mantell, Bell Policy Center’s director of government relations, said ballot proposals should be explained as simply as possible but requiring an eighth-grade standard is too restrictive. He said simply including the word “fiscal” in a ballot question could put it above an eighth-grade level.
In a state where voters are often asked to decide complicated issues, ballot proposals could have to be boiled down to the equivalent of a campaign slogan style statement, he said. Mantell said the change could help Advance Colorado pass future ballot questions.
I mean, yeah, it seems pretty evident that the reason the reactionary organization Advance Colorado is spearheading this is that they want to restrict the types of issues that can be put on the ballot.
Accessible language mostly sounds like a good idea, but what I imagine happening here is opponents of any ballot measure will attempt to use this restriction to challenge it procedurally rather than on its merits.
This would still leave half the voters out…
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On the one hand that’s still beyond the reading grasp of many adults. Though not the worst idea. I think the bigger issue is that whether or not they could read it. Many of the ones that absolutely should won’t still. But then that’s senators and reps for you generally.
This is a smoke screen to grant conservative operators a path to strike down ballot measures before they’re ever voted on. Sure it sounds good. But it’s so vague and hard to test that basically anything you don’t like can be struck down with this if you sue enough.
Sadly that’s not at all surprising and absolutely believable.
Considering the literacy epidemic, “understandable to an eigth grader,” means summed up by a couple memes and an 8 second tik tok video.
Next up “Court strikes down ballot measure approved by voters because it didn’t contain the correct legalese.”
Theoretical eighth graders or actual ones? Considering the “everybody left behind” schooling policies…
