In FY 2020-21, Colorado received $314.5 million from tobacco-related sources.  These include taxes on cigarettes, other tobacco products, and nicotine products and payments from tobacco manufacturers as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.  This memorandum describes the sources and...

In lieu of issuing bonds, or using another form of long-term debt, the state often uses a form of lease-purchase agreement called certificates of participation (COPs) to finance the construction of its new facilities. A certificate refers to an investor's proportionate interest in the state's...

The regulation of marijuana, both retail and medical, has been the subject of a great deal of public policy debate in recent years at all levels of government. This issue brief examines an overview of retail marijuana regulation in Colorado and summarizes three measures enacted by the General...

State Highway Fund (SHF), the primary operating fund used by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to manage state transportation projects. The SHF receives revenue from the HighwayUsers Tax Fund (HUTF), various other revenue and fees, federal funds, and the General Fund. Each of...

The purchase of goods and services by public entities in Colorado is generally governed by the state procurement code.  This code is designed to ensure the fair treatment of people seeking to do business with the state, to foster broad-based competition through a bidding process, and to save...

Colorado’s Enterprise Zone Program was created by the General Assembly in 1986. The program provides state income tax credits to business and individuals for investing in economically distressed areas of the state in an effort to encourage economic development.  This issue brief describes the...

Urban renewal provides a set of tools available to local governments to combat slum and blight conditions. This issue brief highlights urban renewal laws and financing in Colorado.

Information technology (IT) is used by every state agency to make operations more efficient and services more widely available to the citizens of Colorado. Along with other day-to-day expenses of state government, expenses related to IT are paid through the operating budget in the state's annual...