Amendment 39 proposes a change to Section 17 of Article IX of the Colorado Constitution. Referendum J, a legislative proposal, proposes a change to state statute. Voters may choose to vote for one, both, or neither of the proposals. Neither proposal is dependent upon passage of the other. If both proposals pass and any provision of Referendum J is found to conflict with a provision of Amendment 39, then that provision of Referendum J will not be enforced. Both proposals:
- require each school district to spend at least 65 percent of its operating budget on specific items beginning in the 2007-08 school year, although the items are different in each proposal;
- require any school district that spends less than the 65-percent threshold to increase its spending on the specified items by two percentage points each year until the threshold is met;
- allow a school district to request a one-year waiver from the spending requirement; and
- allow the legislature to sanction any school district that fails to comply with the spending requirement.
Additionally, Referendum J (the legislature's alternative to this measure, Amendment 39):
- allows voters to exempt a school district from the 65-percent requirement; and
- requires each school district to submit an annual budget in a standardized format to the state.
Source for Popular Vote data: Colorado Secretary of State. COLORADO CANVASS REPORT: GENERAL ELECTION: Amendment 39, Colorado Secretary of State (http://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/electionresults2006G/CO-RC-1127.htm) (accessed 07 May 2007)