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Nearly $35 million has been poured into Colorado’s statewide ballot initiatives so far this year, according to campaign finance reports filed this week, with a tobacco giant accounting for $10 million of that in its effort to defeat a tax increase on its products.

Combined with $1.7 million collected by proponents of the tobacco tax, which would fund various health-related initiatives, that makes Amendment 72 the most costly race so far at $11.7 million. The medical aid-in-dying measure, Proposition 106, has been a distant second at $6.6 million with proponents raising $4.8 million and opponents gathering $1.8 million.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 Hickenlooper endorses higher minimum wage, aid in dying, cigarette tax

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 9 statewide ballot initiatives you’ll see on Election Day

Still, it could have been more. Much, much more.

“There are a number of intense fights, but this year will be known for what’s not on the ballot, what might have been if TABOR, fracking and wine-and-beer had gone forward,” said independent political analyst Eric Sondermann, noting that the three contentious issues could easily have doubled or tripled what has been raised so far. “Television would be truly unwatchable.”

Some fundraising snapshots:

Amendment 69

Proponents of the effort to create a state-run health care system, dubbed ColoradoCare, have raised their money — $369,233 so far — almost entirely by relatively small donations, many under $100. The opposition’s $4 million has attracted six-figure support from health care players like HealthONE and Centura Health, as well as the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

2016 COLORADO BALLOT MEASURES

• Amendment 69: ColoradoCare

• Amendment 70: Minimum Wage

• Amendment 71: Constitutional changes

• Amendment 72: Cigarette taxes

• Proposition 106: Aid-in-dying

• Proposition 107: Presidential primaries

• Proposition 108: Unaffiliated voters

• Amendment T: Slavery reference

• Amendment U: Property taxes

• Ballot Issue 4B: Arts funding

Amendment 70

Substantial chunks of the $3.1 million for the measure that would raise the state’s minimum wage — an effort that has surfaced in various forms across the country — come from national groups such as the New York-based Center for Popular Democracy Action Fund, which has given $650,000, and unions such as Service Employees International Union, which has given $250,000. Opponents have raised considerably less, with many contributors coming from the restaurant industry. But their effort also has attracted out-of-state donors such as the anti-“Big Labor” Workforce Fairness Institute, which gave $250,000.

Amendment 71

A political Who’s Who of interests has coalesced around the attempt, dubbed Raise the Bar, to make amending the state constitution much more difficult. But some energy industry players stand out. Protecting Colorado’s Environment, Economy, and Energy Independence, an oil-and-gas financed group that amassed millions of dollars anticipating a battle over proposed fracking measures that failed to make the ballot, instead has poured $2 million into the measure so far. Vital for Colorado, a coalition of business interests that advocates for oil and gas development, along with the Colorado Petroleum Council and Whiting Petroleum Corp., have combined for nearly another $1 million.

Campaign finance reports for the three committees listed as opposing the initiative have reported only about $1,000 in contributions.

Amendment 72

Fundraising for the effort to pass the tobacco tax has delivered $1.7 million in several five- and six-figure chunks from health care entities such as Children’s Hospital Colorado and the American Heart Association, while University of Colorado Health and University Physicians, Inc. have led the way with $250,000 each. Opposition — in two $5 million donations — comes from Virginia-based Altria Client Services and its affiliates, part of the group that owns Philip Morris.

“The fact that they’re investing and now reinvesting, they see some glimmer of opportunity or they’d not be playing at that magnitude,” Sondermann said. “That said, they remain underdogs — though big-money underdogs.”

Proposition 106

Proponents of the medical aid-in-dying initiative have a substantial edge, with nearly all of their funding coming from the Compassion and Choices Action Network, a Denver-based but nationally active organization that works to protect and expand end-of-life options. Leading the largely faith-based opposition to the proposition is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Denver, which has contributed $1.115 million, while dioceses across the country have pitched in to varying degrees. In the latest reporting cycle, the Colorado Springs archdiocese contributed $500,000.

Propositions 107 and 108

The measures to create a state presidential primary and also allow unaffiliated voters to cast ballots in party primaries have raised $3.7 million — notably $950,000 from Davita CEO Kent Thiry — against no discernible opposition at this point.

“If an opposition campaign is going to come together,” Sondermann said, “the time is now — if not past tense.”

Two referred measures, to clean up language in the state constitution referring to slavery and to provide a minor property tax exemption, have faced no organized opposition and raised very little money.

Two more reporting periods remain before the November election.

________

Issue contributions

Total for all initiatives as of Oct. 3 report: $34.77 million

Amendment 72 — Tobacco tax

Yes: $1.7 million

No: $10 million

Total: $11.7 million

Proposition 106 — Medical aid-in-dying

Yes: $4.8 million

No: $1.8 million

Total: $6.6 million

Amendment 69 — ColoradoCare

Yes: $369,233

No: $4.0 million

Total: $4.37 million

Amendment 70 — Minimum wage

Yes: $3.1 million

No: $1.2 million

Total: $4.3 million

Amendment 71 — Tougher to amend constitution

Yes: $4.1 million

No: $980

Total: $4.1 million

Propositions 107/108 — Presidential primary/independents vote in primaries

Yes: $3.7 million (including $805k loan)

No: $0

Total: $3.7 million

Amendment T — Clean up language referring to slavery

Yes: $15,129

No opposition

Amendment U — Exempt certain interests from property tax

$0

No committee for or against

By KEVIN SIMPSON

Source