Colorado Democrat’s Transportation Funding Shell Game

Today is sine die, the last day of the 2026 Colorado legislative session, and the Democrat majority down at the state capitol are still rushing massive bills through as I type this.

One of those bills is HB26-1430 “Transportation Funding Adjustments”, which just passed the senate this morning and I fully expect the governor to sign.

Here’s why this is a money shell game:

A proposed constitutional ballot initiative that would permanently lock transportation taxes and fees into road funding has lawmakers scrambling.

Supporters say Initiative 175 would finally force the state to spend transportation money on roads instead of redirecting it into other programs. Critics argue it could blow a $700+ million hole in Colorado’s already strained budget and force cuts elsewhere.

In response, Democrats introduced HB26-1430, a bill designed to offset the financial impact if the initiative passes. The bill temporarily lowers gas taxes, registration fees, and road usage fees while creating a new transportation fund structure. Basically a shell game to ensure they can still control your money should Initiative 75 make the ballot and pass.

The bigger issue is what this says about Colorado’s budget priorities.

If lawmakers now admit transportation money has been repeatedly redirected away from roads, voters should be asking where that money went and why basic infrastructure keeps falling behind despite years of rising fees and taxes.

At the same time, locking hundreds of millions of dollars into the constitution also creates long-term risks. Colorado is already facing major budget shortfalls, and permanently restricting how future legislatures can allocate money could possibly cause issues. We don’t know.

This entire fight is really about trust.

Do voters trust the legislature to responsibly manage transportation funding without constitutional restrictions? Or has the state spent so many years moving money around that voters no longer believe roads will ever become a real priority unless the constitution forces it?

Colorado’s transportation system clearly needs attention. But voters also deserve honesty about the tradeoffs, because there is no such thing as “free” government funding.

It’s a mess down there. That’s why I’m running to be the Representative for Colorado State House District 51, to bring the voice of Loveland to the State Capitol in Denver.