Colorado Legislature’s TABOR Lawsuit and the Truth About Tariffs

The Colorado legislature’s unprecedented Sunday morning session and their resolution to challenge TABOR through federal court signal an aggressive push toward expanded government power, while Trump’s tariff strategy aims to restore American manufacturing and level an uneven global playing field.

Legislature’s Sunday Assault on Representative Government

Start listening at 16:53 – Hour 1 Former State Senator Kevin Lundberg described the Colorado legislature’s decision to convene at 9 AM on a Sunday as unprecedented in his experience. The session focused exclusively on transgender and abortion legislation, with leadership invoking Rule 16 to eliminate all third reading debate.

“Maybe they don’t want to hear the truth, because when it comes to these bills, the truth is just the polar opposite of what they’re doing.”

Kevin Lundberg

Under normal legislative procedure, each representative receives 10 minutes to address bills during third reading. By eliminating debate entirely, leadership silenced the voices of constituents represented by minority members. One representative, a pastor, could not attend because he had a pulpit to fill that morning.

The TABOR Lawsuit: Absurdity Meets Overreach

Start listening at 32:49 – Hour 1 The legislature’s House Joint Resolution directs a federal lawsuit challenging TABOR as a violation of Article 4’s guarantee of a Republican form of government. Lundberg noted the profound irony: while claiming citizen initiatives undermine representative government, legislators simultaneously refuse to allow their own representatives to speak.

“I have confidence that the current United States Supreme Court would look at this and say, go get a life, you know, to the Colorado legislature.”

Kevin Lundberg

Article 5 of the Colorado Constitution explicitly reserves citizens’ right to initiate laws independent of the legislature. This provision existed from the state’s founding and was never challenged as unconstitutional. The legislature has operated under TABOR for over 30 years.

Protect Kids Colorado Launches Three Initiatives

Start listening at 48:27 – Hour 1 At the Rocky Mountains Summit, Protect Kids Colorado announced three ballot initiatives: preventing males in female sports, combating human trafficking of minors, and banning surgical procedures on minors for gender transition purposes. Lundberg emphasized strategic focus on issues polling strongest with Colorado voters.

“You can’t change everything overnight, all at once, and so we’re going for the most probable wins, and hopefully big wins.”

Kevin Lundberg

The initiatives purposefully exclude pharmaceutical interventions for the first measure, focusing on surgical procedures where voter opposition is clearest. Citizens can volunteer at ProtectKidsColorado.org.

Tariffs as Strategic Tool, Not Protectionism

Start listening at 75:42 – Hour 2 Entrepreneur Susan Kochevar, owner of the historic 88 Drive-In Theater, defended Trump’s tariff approach as addressing decades of one-sided trade relationships. Other nations have long imposed significant tariffs on American goods while the US maintained low barriers.

“I also don’t think that people realize that at one point, our federal government was funded completely on tariffs, and there was no income tax.”

Susan Kochevar

The tariff strategy serves multiple purposes: encouraging domestic manufacturing, addressing national security vulnerabilities in critical supply chains for steel, aluminum, computer chips, and pharmaceuticals, and creating leverage to negotiate genuinely free and fair trade agreements.

Kochevar noted that mainstream media coverage consistently omits the tariffs other countries charge the United States, presenting only the reciprocal rates Trump proposes. She argued that levying identical tariffs creates a level playing field rather than protectionism.

Election Integrity Remains the Priority

Start listening at 94:07 – Hour 2 Both guests emphasized that election reform represents the most critical focus for citizens concerned about Colorado’s direction. The Colorado 2024 Election Project’s lawsuits challenging voter roll accuracy and compliance with federal standards remain active, with the Secretary of State’s office bringing in a Perkins Coie attorney as Deputy Secretary of State.

Kim highlighted the importance of supporting Holly Kasun’s appeal challenging the Christiansburg standard that shields NGOs from paying attorney’s fees when their lawsuits fail. Citizens can contribute through GiveSendGo or by texting Kim at 720-605-0647.