Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold testifies against unconstitutional “Candy Tax” enabled by Colorado Supreme Court

It’s still deja vu all over again…

Several of the unconstitutional “Dirty Dozen” tax bills previously rammed through the Colorado House(Monday) on a largely party-line vote are now up for hearings this week before the Colorado Senate.

On Wednesday, four of the “Dirty Dozen” tax increase bills came up for hearings and public testimony before the Senate Finance Committee at the Colorado Capitol (Old Supreme Court chambers):

–HB 1189 (Elimination of the state sales and use tax exemption for direct mail advertising materials)
–HB 1191 (Subjecting candy and soft drinks to the state sales and use taxes)
–HB 1194 (Eliminating sales tax exemptions for “nonessential food articles” – the “doggy bag” tax)
–HB 1196 (Elimination of tax credit for alternative fuel vehicles)

Clear The Bench Colorado Director Matt Arnold testified in opposition to these bills on constitutional grounds – since it is clear that each bill represents “a tax policy change…  resulting in a net revenue gain” and therefore, under the Colorado Constitution, requires prior approval by a vote of the people.

The following video clip is a recording of his testimony against the “Candy & Soft Drink” tax – which is not only unconstitutional in origin, but (in the bill’s particulars) is confusing, capricious, and arbitrary in application – and will likely result in increased costs to government in the form of additional oversight, regulation, and enforcement (“Candy Police?”)

A particularly noteworthy exchange in this clip comes when Sen. Pat Steadman attempts to defend his characterization of the right of Colorado citizens to vote their conscience in the statewide retention elections for the Colorado Supreme Court justices on the ballot this year as “radical and disruptive.”  Apparently it’s not just your right to vote on tax increases that is troublesome to some officials…

Defend your right to have a vote before being taxed – and exercise YOUR right to vote “NO” on the four ‘unjust justices’ of the Mullarkey Majority (Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice, and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey) who need YOUR approval to continue taking away your constitutional rights: your right to vote on tax increases, your right to defend your homes and business from seizure by rapacious governments, and your right to enjoy the benefits of the rule of law, instead of rule by an oligarchy of activist, agenda-driven “justices.”  Help to Support Clear The Bench Colorado with your comments (Sound Off!), your contributions, and your “NO” vote on retaining these unjust justices!