Proposition 136: Income Tax Rate Limit
Statewide — all of Colorado
General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Placed on the ballot by citizen initiative. The Blue Book lists 14 statewide measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot.[1][2]
The question on the ballot
Shall there be a change to the Colorado Revised Statutes capping the state income tax rate at 4.4% of federal taxable income for individuals and corporations?[1]
Sets in statute a maximum state income tax rate of 4.4 percent for individuals and corporations beginning January 1, 2027, which is the current rate; it does not change the existing rate or the process for lowering it, and the constitution already requires voter approval for tax rate increases. The Blue Book notes that Amendment 87 sets rates above 4.4 percent for income over $500,000, so if both pass the outcome is unclear and would be resolved by the legislature or a court (generally the measure with more votes controls). Fiscal impact: none.[1]
A YES vote means
Establishes the current state income tax rate of 4.4 percent as the maximum rate.
A NO vote means
Keeps the current state income tax rate of 4.4 percent without establishing a new limit in statute.
The law today
Per the Blue Book: the state income tax rate for individuals and corporations is currently 4.4 percent and the measure would not change it; the legislature or a citizen initiative may reduce the rate, and the Colorado Constitution already requires voter approval for any tax rate increase. There is no statutory cap today.[1]
Official fiscal estimate
Per the Blue Book: the measure limits the rate to no higher than the current 4.4 percent, which results in no change to state or local government revenue or spending, so it has no fiscal impact.[1]
Arguments made for
- Blue Book argument for: "Proposition 136 reinforces voter support for maintaining the current state income tax rate." It adds that the current rate "keeps Colorado's tax rate among the lowest in the country."[1]
Arguments made against
- Blue Book argument against: "This initiative is designed to put Amendment 87 into legal jeopardy, causing confusion and a potentially costly legal battle to resolve."[1]
On record in support
On record in opposition
- Protect Colorado's Future Coalition: registered opposing issue committee and the committee supporting Amendment 87 (Secretary of State list; Colorado Newsline).[3][4]
- Vote Common Sense: registered opposing issue committee (Secretary of State list).[3]
- People for a Fair Colorado: registered opposing issue committee (Secretary of State list).[3]
- Make Good Change: registered opposing issue committee (Secretary of State list).[3]
Campaign money
No measure-specific totals are available in the sources reviewed. A Brighter Colorado, which supports this and other measures, had raised nearly $3 million through Oct. 13 across all measures it takes a side on; Protect Colorado's Future Coalition, registered against Proposition 136 and for Amendment 87, had raised nearly $2 million through Oct. 13 (Colorado Sun).[5]
Research notes & limits
Source: the official 2026 Blue Book (Legislative Council Staff, nonpartisan), which gives the ballot title, the 'what your vote means' text, an analysis with arguments for and against, and the fiscal impact. Its 'for' and 'against' arguments are the staff's own summaries of the main arguments on each side, not statements from named campaigns; the booklet points to the Secretary of State's page for supporting and opposing organizations, which was not reviewed here. Ballotpedia is cited only for the certified-measure count. Ballotpedia notes a separate road-funding initiative was certified but withdrawn after its proponents reached an agreement with the state, so it is not on the ballot. No named-source verbatim argument beyond the Blue Book was found for either side of this measure, so argument counts were left at one each. See the Amendment 81 note on finance sourcing.
Sources · 5
Researched 2026-10-19. Green citations are official government records.
- 1.2026 State Ballot Information Booklet (Blue Book) · Colorado Legislative Council Staff · 2026-09-10 Official record
- 2.Colorado 2026 ballot measures · Ballotpedia · 2026-10-18 Reference
- 3.Amendments and Propositions on the 2026 Ballot: information and contacts (certified measures, registered issue committees) · Colorado Secretary of State · 2026-10-19 Official record
- 4.Proposition 136: Income Tax Rate Limit (2026 Voter Guide) · Colorado Newsline · 2026-10-17 News report
- 5.Millions in untraceable conservative money flooding into Colorado election · The Colorado Sun · 2026-10-14 News report