Statewide
Proposition NNKeep and Spend Money for Education and Other Purposes
UNRESOLVED: Proposition NN: official descriptions differ
The Colorado Secretary of State’s measures page lists Proposition NN (Senate Bill 26-135, “State Public K-12 Education Funding”) with this ballot question: “Shall state investment in K-12 public education increase two percent each year for the next ten years, with investments used to increase teacher pay, improve teacher retention, lower class sizes, and increase access to career and technical courses, without raising taxes but instead funded by raising the annual limit on state fiscal year spending only by the amount spent on public K-12 education as a voter-approved revenue change, and requiring an annual publicly released, independent audit to show how the new investments are spent?” The Blue Book titles it “Proposition NN: Keep and Spend Money for Education and Other Purposes,” and its “yes” vote description reads: “allows the state to keep some or all of the revenue that otherwise would be refunded to taxpayers under TABOR.” This guide has not reconciled the two. The wording on the final printed ballot governs.
Sourced facts
Official ballot title
Shall state investment in K-12 public education increase two percent each year for the next ten years, with investments used to increase teacher pay, improve teacher retention, lower class sizes, and increase access to career and technical courses, without raising taxes but instead funded by raising the annual limit on state fiscal year spending only by the amount spent on public K-12 education as a voter-approved revenue change, and requiring an annual publicly released, independent audit to show how the new investments are spent?
Verbatim from: Amendments and Propositions on the 2026 Ballot (Colorado Secretary of State)
Summary
A legislatively referred measure that would let the state keep revenue that would otherwise be refunded under TABOR and spend it on K-12 education and other purposes. Official sources describe it differently; see the unresolved notice.
Plain-language summary written for this guide from the sources below.
What a YES vote does
A “yes” vote on Proposition NN allows the state to keep some or all of the revenue that otherwise would be refunded to taxpayers under TABOR.
What a NO vote does
A “no” vote on Proposition NN maintains current TABOR refunds and funding levels for K-12 education, programs that support children, and other state purposes.
Official text from the Blue Book (“What Your Vote Means”).
How it got on the ballot
- Referred to voters by the Colorado General Assembly through Senate Bill 26-135. [Colorado General Assembly: SB26-135; SOS ballot certification news release, Sept 4, 2026]
- House vote: 42–21 (May 9, 2026). [Colorado General Assembly: SB26-135]
- Senate vote: 23–12 (final repassage May 12, 2026). [Colorado General Assembly: SB26-135]
Official fiscal information
- Expected to reduce TABOR refunds by $329.9 million in 2026-27 and $521.0 million in 2027-28, eliminating TABOR refunds for those two budget years; future-year impact varies. (Estimated)
- Increases state spending by an estimated $329.9 million in 2026-27 and $521.0 million in 2027-28 on net. (Estimated)
From the official source’s fiscal section. Figures marked “(Estimated)” are estimates or projections in the source.