Is Democracy Under Attack in Colorado?

Is Democracy Under Attack in Colorado? A Closer Look at Jon Caldara’s Critique

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Key takeaways

• Columnist Jon Caldara argues that Colorado leaders are undermining democracy by shifting power from elected bodies to appointed boards and commissions.
• The RTD board overhaul is presented as a prime example, with critics seeing proposed gubernatorial appointments as a move away from voter control.
• Past legislation on oil and gas, sex education, and air quality is cited as part of a broader trend toward governance by regulation rather than election.
• Caldara highlights perceived hypocrisy between rhetoric about defending democracy from national threats and actions that centralize power at the state level.
• Voters concerned about local democracy are encouraged to watch appointments, regulatory rulemaking, and how often “fees” are used to bypass direct consent on taxes.

Table of contents

• Context: Colorado’s democracy debate
• RTD’s elected board: Why it matters
• Governing by boards and commissions
• Case studies: Oil & gas, education, and air quality
• Taxpayer consent and the “fees” debate
• How Colorado voters can engage
• Related reading and next steps

Context: Colorado’s democracy debate

In his column, Independence Institute president Jon Caldara contends that democracy is being hollowed out from within Colorado’s own institutions. While state leaders publicly warn about national threats to democracy and former President Donald Trump, Caldara argues they are simultaneously centralizing authority in unelected entities at home.

He frames the moment as one of deep cognitive dissonance, accusing policymakers of preaching popular sovereignty while shifting real power away from voters.

RTD’s elected board: Why it matters

A central example in the column is the Regional Transportation District (RTD), which Caldara describes as arguably the largest standalone government in Colorado after the state itself. Voters approved a 15-member elected RTD board, giving residents direct say over transit policy, spending, and long-range rail ambitions.

Caldara criticizes proposals to replace much of that elected board with gubernatorial appointees. He characterizes these changes as an attempt by the governor to install “insiders” and pursue large-scale rail projects—such as expanded rail service to Longmont or from Pueblo to Fort Collins—without having to navigate the friction of electoral accountability.

“Nothing says ‘democracy’ quite like removing elections,” Caldara quips, underscoring his concern that convenience and “efficiency” are being used to justify a loss of voter power.

Governing by boards and commissions

Caldara’s broader claim is that Colorado is increasingly governed by appointment, regulation, and committee rather than election and open legislative debate. He contrasts the governor’s participation in “Governors Safeguarding Democracy” with what he sees as a “long transfer of power away from voters.”

For readers, the core tension is this:

• Proponents of appointments and commissions argue they bring expertise, speed, and consistency to complex policy areas.
• Critics, such as Caldara, argue that every layer of appointment that replaces an election can dull accountability and distance decision-makers from the public.

Case studies: Oil & gas, education, and air quality

The column highlights several legislative examples to illustrate this trend:

• Oil & gas (Senate Bill 19-181): Caldara says this law shifted Colorado’s focus from fostering responsible development to empowering an appointed Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to effectively “regulate the industry to death.”
• Sex education (House Bill 19-1032): He argues that authority over human sexuality education was pulled away from elected school boards and the state Board of Education, with grant power assigned to an unelected board that he characterizes as ideologically driven.
• Air quality: The creation of an Air Quality Control Commission with strong regulatory authority is described as further empowering unelected environmental regulators, comparable in power to the Public Utilities Commission.

Each case, in Caldara’s view, moves the dial from democratic control toward expert-driven rulemaking that voters can only influence indirectly.

Taxpayer consent and the “fees” debate

Caldara also invokes Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) as “the ultimate form of democracy,” requiring voter approval for tax increases. He criticizes the legislature for increasingly labeling revenue measures as “fees” instead of taxes, thereby bypassing the requirement for direct voter consent.

For residents tracking fiscal policy, this raises a key question: How often are major funding decisions shielded from the ballot by classification choices?

How Colorado voters can engage

If you are concerned about local democratic accountability, Caldara’s column suggests several practical focus areas:

• Monitor proposed changes to elected boards like RTD and ask whether appointments will replace or merely supplement elections.
• Track rulemaking by commissions in energy, education, and environmental policy; attend hearings, submit comments, and follow agendas.
• Watch fiscal language—specifically when new charges are labeled as “fees” rather than “taxes,” and whether TABOR votes are being bypassed.

For deeper engagement, consider subscribing to statehouse newsletters, following nonpartisan watchdog groups, or signing up for alerts from particular boards or commissions that affect your region.

Related reading and next steps

To broaden your perspective on Colorado democracy and governance, explore:

• Columns on local journalism and democracy that examine how media health affects civic oversight.
• Analysis of independent voters in Colorado to see how unaffiliated voters shape state policy and accountability.
• Explainers on TABOR, fees, and state budgeting for a clearer picture of how money moves through Colorado government.

As another legislative session begins, the core issue raised in Caldara’s piece is not only whether leaders warn about threats to democracy at the national level, but whether they embrace or erode democratic practice within Colorado itself.

Source: https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/12/28/democracy-is-under-attack-right-here-in-colorado-jon-caldara/