TABOR Reform Resources
While it was designed to limit government growth, TABOR has created significant barriers to addressing the needs of our state and its residents. As we face federal budget cuts and increasing demands on state services, TABOR hampers Colorado’s ability to backfill essential funding for programs and services.
At the Colorado Fiscal Institute (CFI), we understand the complexities of TABOR and its impact on everything from government transparency and accountability to economic resilience, local governance, and democratic processes.
This collection of resources is designed to help you, and your stakeholders, understand what TABOR is, why it’s a problem, and how you can take action to support reforms or repeal efforts. With this information, you'll be better equipped to engage in meaningful advocacy and share the facts with others, helping to foster a more sustainable fiscal future for Colorado.
- TABOR in 1 Minute: Fact Sheet
- TABOR in 2 Minutes: Video Explainer
- TABOR in 3 Minutes: TABOR Tots
- TABOR IN 10 Minutes: TABOR Primer
- "TABOR: The Colorado Con" E-Blast
- More TABOR Talk
TABOR in 1 Minute: Fact Sheet
TABOR in 2 Minutes: Video Explainer
TABOR in 3 Minutes: TABOR Tots
Introducing TABOR Tots on TikTok—a fun and engaging series where CFI breaks down the complex world of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR) in short, easy-to-understand videos. In each episode, we explain key aspects of TABOR and its far-reaching impact on Colorado, from budget challenges to limitations on essential services. Never miss a video. Follow us on TikTok @coloradofiscalinstitute.
TABOR in 10 Minutes: TABOR Primer
For a more detailed look at the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), this primer breaks down its fiscal impact on Colorado’s budget, state services, and local governments. We explore how TABOR affects economic stability and funding for essential programs, providing you with a clear understanding of its long-term challenges for the state’s financial future.
"TABOR: The Colorado Con" E-Blast
TABOR was sold to Coloradans as a simple promise: keep government on a diet and send taxpayers refund checks when times are good. But three decades later, Colorado’s wallet feels the pinch.
Since 1992, the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights has quietly become one of the tightest tax constraints in the country, deciding what our state can and cannot afford. It does not just cap spending. It locks lawmakers into rigid revenue limits, even as our population grows, costs rise, and new challenges emerge. What was framed as taxpayer control often functions more like a set of handcuffs on our state.
If you have ever looked at a crowded classroom, rising child care costs, strained public services, or a recurring budget shortfall and thought, “Wait, something does not add up,” you are not wrong. TABOR shapes those outcomes in ways that are easy to overlook but impossible to ignore once you see the full picture.
And the stakes are even higher now. As federal programs are slashed or scaled back, most states can step in to stabilize funding and protect families. Colorado cannot. TABOR’s constraints make it uniquely difficult to respond when Washington pulls back, leaving deeper shortfalls and fewer tools to meet real-world needs.
Subscribe to CFI’s “TABOR: The Colorado Con”—short emails, sent when it matters, unpacking TABOR’s real-world consequences so you’ve got the receipts to argue why tax reform is urgently needed in Colorado.
More TABOR Talk
Want to dive deeper into TABOR reform? Visit our TABOR Insights page, where we explore the impact of TABOR and constitutional policies on Colorado’s budget, public services, and economy.