Our Issues
Nothing expresses priorities and values more than how a state raises revenues and allocates resources. Tax and budget policies reflect what we most value as a state. CFI advocates for fair and sustainable taxes that can support our shared investments in a thriving economy and broadly shared prosperity.
Colorado receives large investments from the federal government that not only help the state provide services that benefit all Coloradans, but also fuel economic growth and jobs across the state. Today, decisions made by Congress and the President matter more than ever. CFI provides timely analyses of how federal tax and budget decisions affect Colorado and provides the tools that local advocates need to make a difference at the federal level.
TABOR and Constitutional Issues
Coloradans have long favored constitutional fiscal policy. From TABOR, the most restrictive tax and expenditure limit in the country, to Amendment 23, a constitutional requirement for K12 funding, Colorado’s constitution creates a complex path for state policymakers and the voting public to navigate when setting tax and budget priorities. CFI provides unmatched expertise on the effects constitutional tax and budget policy has on the economy, the democratic process, and on transparency and government accountability.
Broadly shared prosperity results when we deliberately invest in the people and structures that form the foundation of a strong economy. CFI creates and promotes better tools to measure real economic growth and advances policy solutions that encourage greater opportunity, equity and prosperity for all Coloradans.
CFI recognizes that immigrants and immigration play a large role in Colorado’s economy and our future. We believe that broadly shared prosperity means that all Coloradans, regardless of their immigration status, have equal access to the public resources and economic opportunities that allow them to achieve their full potential. CFI examines the role of immigrants in the Colorado economy and beyond, and promotes public policies that improve the economic well-being of immigrant families.
A thriving economy and the promise of a bright future require that all Coloradans have the educational opportunities they need to succeed. The key to guaranteeing those opportunities is adequate, equitable and stable education funding. CFI provides the information that parents, legislators, policymakers and community leaders need to secure the necessary revenues to support quality public preschool, K-12 and higher education.
Tax and fiscal policy have the potential to raise the required resources for investments in mitigation and adaptation to climate change. CFI works to research, analyze, assess, and engage in strategic fiscal policies that promote smart natural resource management. Our aim is to ensure all people have an opportunity to participate in decisions that affect their environment and that their community concerns are appropriately considered in public policy decisions.
CFI has partnered with housing advocates across the state to support the creation of a statewide affordable housing trust fund and ensure that we address the growing housing needs of Coloradans. Click to view our work and research.
