Broad Coalition Ask Colorado Contractors to Withdraw Proposed Initiative 175

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April 15, 2026

Contact: Serena Woods

[email protected]

Broad Coalition Releases Letter Asking Colorado Contractors to Withdraw Proposed Initiative 175, a $539 million cut from Medicaid, Higher Ed, and K-12 Education

K-12 education advocates, higher education institutions, conservation advocates, public transit organizations, hospitals, labor organizations, and health care advocates among groups opposing Initiative 175

Denver, CO – Today, Keep Kids First Colorado released a letter signed by more than 40 organizations asking the “Restore our Roads” coalition to withdraw Initiative 175. Proposed Initiative 175 earmarks funding for construction without new revenue, resulting in diverting $539 million dollars from Colorado’s general fund and the critical services it funds. The measure would also sweep hundreds of millions of other dollars from critical cash funds, which would likely require additional backfilling from the general fund. The non-partisan legislative council staff estimates the measure could cause $1-2 billion in impact on the state budget.

If Initiative 175 were to qualify for the ballot and pass, balancing the budget without major cuts to Medicaid, K-12 education, and higher education would be impossible. These three programs constitute approximately 70% of the state’s general fund budget.

The initiative is backed by corporations that stand to benefit financially from more highway construction.

The following organizations signed the letter opposing Initiative 175 (listed in alphabetical order):

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1001
The Bell Policy Center
Bicycle Colorado
Bike Colorado Springs
Boulder Chamber
Transportation Connections
Boulder County
Centennial State Prosperity
Children’s Hospital Colorado
Coalition 4 Cyclists
Cobalt
Colorado Center on Law & Policy
Colorado Consumer Health Initiative
Colorado Education Association
Colorado Fiscal Institute
Colorado Hospital Association
Colorado Rail Passenger Association
Colorado State University System
Colorado WINS
Community Cycles
Commuting Solutions
Conservation Colorado
Counties & Commissioners Acting Together
Craig Chamber of Commerce
Denver Health & Hospital Authority
Denver Streets Partnership
Greater Denver Transit
GreenLatinos
Henry Sobanet
Home Care and Hospice Association of Colorado
MEAPTA
Mountain Mamas
Northeast Transportation Connections
Pedestrian and Cycle Manitou Springs
People Centered Colorado Springs
PikeRide, Inc.
Rangely Hospital District
Routt County
Sierra Club Colorado
Total Care Connections, Inc
Vibrant Englewood
West Line Corridor Collaborative
Western Resource Advocates

Initiative 175 is currently collecting signatures to qualify for the ballot. Information about the initiative can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

April 14, 2026

Dear Colorado Contractors Association and Restore Our Roads,

Coloradans can all agree we are sick of deteriorating roads, endless traffic jams, and crumbling bridges. But the consequences of the “Restore Our Roads” initiative are dire, and we respectfully request that you withdraw Initiative 175 from the ballot.

Initiative 175 is a promise to improve Colorado’s roads without raising taxes. The problem is, the measure takes existing sales tax revenue without adding new dollars to the General Fund, diverting funds from important programs that need continued funding, forcing the general assembly to cut other programs in order to free up additional general fund. Should Initiative 175 pass, balancing the budget without major reductions to Medicaid, K-12 education, and higher education would be impossible. Together, these three areas represent nearly 71 percent of the state’s General Fund. According to the nonpartisan Colorado Legislative Council, the measure would also divert $155.8 million from transit-related cash funds and special accounts, and potentially $257.9 million from transportation enterprise fees. This exacerbates pressure on the general fund further.

This measure is being proposed to Colorado voters at a time when Colorado lawmakers are already confronting serious budget challenges. This year, lawmakers are having to make substantial cuts to balance the state budget, and future budget cuts aren’t going away any time soon. The Joint Budget Committee projects a $1 billion shortfall for the 2027–28 budget year.

Health care services would likely be among the most affected. Approximately 20 percent of Coloradans rely on Medicaid for their health coverage. Because Medicaid accounts for nearly one-third of the General Fund, any significant reduction in available revenue would lead to cuts, disproportionately impacting seniors, children, and individuals with disabilities.

K-12 education funding would also be at risk. In 2024, Colorado lawmakers implemented a new school finance formula designed to distribute resources more equitably, particularly for at-risk students and smaller rural districts. The formula is more student-centered, but Proposition 175 threatens this new funding for at-risk and rural students and puts Colorado’s ability to meet constitutional education funding requirements out of reach.

Higher education would also face steep cuts. Colorado already ranks among the lowest states in the nation for higher education funding. Initiative 175 would secure our spot at the bottom. Students at Colorado universities, community colleges, and technical colleges will face higher tuition costs due to Initiative 175.

Initiative 175 decimates Medicaid, K-12, and education funding by design. Colorado absolutelyneeds thoughtful solutions to address transportation challenges. However, steep cuts to healthcare, education, and other essential services are not the answer.

The measure also rewrites the book on transportation funding, sweeping enterprises, defunding important grants, and redefining how transportation dollars would work. This creates further challenges in the budget when we are forced to find additional revenue to backfill these programs.

Please reconsider this proposal and withdraw Initiative 175. Colorado would be better served by a plan that strengthens Colorado’s transportation system without undermining critical services that support children, families, and seniors across the state.