Colorado River District Board Unanimously Supports Proposition JJ
If approved by voters, the November ballot measure would lift the $29 million cap on sports betting revenue, and direct proceeds toward Colorado’s Water Plan.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, September 26, 2024
CONTACT: Lindsay DeFrates – 970.456.8973
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado — During a special joint meeting on September 19th, the Colorado River District’s Board of Directors voted to support Proposition JJ, a referred measure that will appear on the Colorado ballot this November. The River District’s Board, which represents 15 western Colorado counties, voted unanimously to support the water-related ballot measure.
Passed with broad bipartisan support in the 2024 legislative session, House Bill 24-1436 referred Proposition JJ to voters for this November’s statewide election ballot.
In 2019, the River District supported Proposition DD, which established a tax on sports betting operators to help fund Colorado’s Water Plan Implementation Grant Program. Since that time, taxes on sports betting revenues have generated over $65 million for Colorado’s Water Plan.
Proposition DD revenues are now projected to exceed the established $29 million TABOR cap this year and annually into the future. Under current law, TABOR requires that the excess revenues be returned to casinos and sports betting operators.
If approved, Proposition JJ will allow the state to keep sports betting tax revenue above the amount previously approved by voters and use this excess revenue to increase the total amount of funding provided to the Water Plan Implementation Grant Program, rather than refunding such monies to casinos and sports betting operators.
In their resolution of support, the River District’s Board recognized the potential dedication of new tax revenue to fund future water projects under the Water Plan Implementation Grant Program but noted that “additional revenue generated by Proposition JJ will not fully fund Colorado’s water supply needs, and it is the expectation of this Board that the General Assembly will provide additional funding from the General Fund.”
The full resolution is available here. For more information, contact Lindsay DeFrates.
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