Denver, CO – After spending like drunken sailors on shore leave (sorry to insult drunken sailors) in 2019, the Democrats are scrambling to find money to pay their credit cards cover the state budget. We should point out that budget revenue is ABOVE last year’s projections. Democrats and responsibility are like mixing oil and water.
One area Democrats have focused on is eliminating tax breaks and exemptions for businesses. They are hell-bent on ruining Colorado’s alleged robust economy. They’ve already decimated the oil and gas industry, and their path of destruction is alive and well.
The latest business casualty is the long-term lodging tax exemption. The oversimplified explanation is if a business or business people were living in Colorado temporarily, more than a month, they received a sales tax exemption. The limitation of this to “natural persons” would add a paltry $12 million to a $31 billion budget.
From the legislative staff Fiscal Note:
Beginning on January 1, 2021, this bill limits the state sales tax exemption on long-term lodging to natural persons. Long-term lodging includes stays of 30 days or more at hotels, apartment hotels, lodging houses, motor hotels, guesthouses, guest ranches, trailer coaches, mobile homes, autocamps, or trailer courts and parks. The bill also continues the application of the sales tax exemption to local governments unless they choose to explicitly subject long-term lodging to their local sales and use tax rates.
Colorado Legislative Staff
Now, some of you may think of special cut-outs for certain classifications of businesses, and people are a no-no. We don’t necessarily disagree. So, this issue may only pique the interest of some of you, but here’s where it gets interesting!
Some crafty Republicans decided to run an amendment to the bill to help define a “natural person” as a person who is a citizen of the United States. Of course, Democrats love illegal aliens and put them on a pedestal, so the amendment was voted down by a voice vote. FYI procedurally, during the process, there can be a voice vote (non-recorded). Note: there must be a recorded vote (record of how legislators voted) before a bill is passed or killed.
However, Republicans were ultimately able to force a recorded vote.
Surprisingly, not all Democrats voted against this amendment. One who is a competitive seat, Barbara McLachlan (D-Durango), was noticeably absent. This is a big issue in her district.
However, there were plenty of Democrats in competitive seats who sided with illegal aliens AKA criminals over common sense. They were Representatives: Yadira Caraveo (D-Thornton), Daneya Esgar (D-Pueblo), Matt Gray (D-Broomfield), Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D-Arvada) who is running for County Commissioner in Jefferson County, Dafna Michaelson-Jenet (D-Thornton), and Brianna Titone (D-Arvada).
We don’t understand why Democrats are so high on illegal aliens. They probably see them as potential voters.
What say you Colorado Citizen’s Press readers?
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All great societies have fallen thanks to democrats!