In the realm of Republican politics, the core value of returning tax dollars to hardworking citizens has always remained paramount. However, former Colorado State Senator Jerry Sonnenberg's actions in 2017 and his support for the anti-TABOR bill SB17-267 raise serious doubts about his commitment to this principle.

As Sonnenberg now seeks a congressional seat in the deep-red 4th congressional district, it is important to examine his record.

PRIME SPONSORS

• Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg

• Sen. Lucia Guzman

• Rep. KC Becker

• Rep. Jon Becker

In 2017, Sen. Kevin Lundberg, a fellow Republican, called SB17-267 "one of the worst pieces of legislation I've seen." The bill's impact on Colorado's Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) and the refunds is still being felt today.

The most significant provision of this bill was the transfer of the hospital provider fee into an enterprise fund.

By doing so, the legislature avoided the need to cut $264 million from hospitals, amounting to $528 million when accounting for lost federal matching dollars. This move prevented potential hospital closures, staff layoffs, and program terminations.

Sonnenberg's bill also eliminated nearly $300 million in TABOR refunds owed to Coloradans during the 2018-19 budget year. This action caused revenues to fall below the cap by approximately $383 million. Such a decision directly contradicts the Republican belief in returning excess tax dollars to the citizens who earned them.

READ MORE:

• BOEBERT BARELY CRACKS TOP FIVE IN CD4 DEBATE STRAW POLL

• THE SCRAMBLE TO REPLACE KEN BUCK IN COLORADO'S CONSERVATIVE CD4 IS HEATING UP AS REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES VIE FOR THE HIGHLY COVETED SEAT

• COLORADANS ARE PROJECTED TO RECEIVE SLIGHTLY LOWER TAXPAYER REFUNDS NEXT YEAR THAN ANTICIPATED

• TABOR UNDER ATTACK AS HARD-EARNED MONEY SLIPS AWAY

Sonnenberg argued that he introduced the bill to protect hospitals in his district from impending cuts to the provider fee. He found support from unlikely allies, such as Sen. Guzman and House Majority Leader K.C. Becker, both Democrats, as well as Rep. John Becker, a fellow Republican.

Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Lundberg, rightfully raised concerns about the constitutionality of a bill that moved roughly $800 million into an enterprise fund while only reducing the revenue cap by $200 million. As the committee chair, Lundberg would have killed the bill, but Sonnenberg managed to rally other committee members to sign a letter requesting a hearing, eventually moving the anti-TABOR bill forward.