This year, families have seen the value of their paychecks and savings plunge as inflation continues to rise. Young families who have been saving for years to buy a home now must dip into their savings to cover their monthly energy bill. Single moms have been forced to choose between Christmas gifts or filling up their gas tanks to get to work. Recent college graduates are working two jobs while rent prices increase and entry-level salaries remain stagnant. They are your neighbors and nieces and nephews; they are the everyday folks who call Colorado home.

Add to this, the ongoing impact of COVID-19 which continues to deplete savings through unexpected illnesses, hospital bills, and ever-changing schedules, and you have a hellish combination for the people of Colorado.

In January of 2022, the Consumer Price Index was up a whopping 7.5%, the highest rate in 40 years. For the Denver metro area, the rate rose 7.9% over the past year, up 1.4% more than in November and 4.4% over July 2021. To families across the state, these are not just numbers – this is life. These statistics are having a real impact on the lives of real people right here in Colorado.

And yet, while inflation was skyrocketing, Colorado Democrats have been busy creatively ignoring TABOR, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights which requires Colorado voters to vote on tax increases, and implementing new taxes and fees to take more from the hard-working people of Colorado.

In the last session, Democrats passed a transportation “fee” which Gov. Jared Polis signed into law in June. The bill, Senate Bill 260, increases a per-gallon fee on fuel by 2 cents-a-year until 2028, adjusting with inflation – this on top of the already existing 22-cent gas tax. Now, suddenly, the same representatives who supported this bill want to delay the fee for another year. They must have realized this isn’t going to go over well with Coloradans, especially not in an election year.

While Democrats have time and time again proven they are more interested in talking points than helping the most vulnerable, Republicans are sponsoring legislation to reduce fees and taxes and make life easier for families.

Our new bill will expand the current sales tax exemption to an exemption for all food – including food at restaurants, grocery stores and other establishments. Due to the pandemic, many families began to use to-go and delivery sales of food; they should not have to pay more for these services. Additionally, state sales taxes are highly regressive, meaning that they take a greater percentage of earnings from low-income individuals. On average, the lowest-income families pay a 7.1% rate of their income in sales tax, while the top income earners pay only a 0.9% rate. This means the poorest Americans are hit the hardest by these policies.

In Colorado, we want to uplift the lowest-income earners in our state, not continue to increase their financial burden like Democratic policies have been doing the past year.

One of the main pillars of our Commitment to Colorado is affordability. Republicans in the state legislature are committed to making Colorado more affordable by helping reverse excessive taxes and fees and cutting regulations that threaten to put the American Dream out of reach. This bill is a step in the right direction to ensure Colorado continues to be one of the best states to live in.

Hugh McKean, R-Loveland, represents the 51st District in the Colorado House of Representatives, where he serves as minority leader.