What part of, “You lost – big!” does the Democratic leadership at Colorado’s Legislature not understand?

On Nov. 7 – as in, just last week – Colorado’s electorate pummeled Proposition HH. That was the Legislature’s ballot proposal that faked property-tax “relief” to conceal a big tax hike. Voters saw through it, stood it before a firing squad and buried it under a nearly 20-point margin of defeat.

And just in case that resounding rejection wasn’t crystal clear to the state’s elected lawmakers – who’ll convene Friday at the Capitol in a special session called by the governor to revisit the whole issue – Colorado’s business community weighed in this week. As reported by Colorado Politics, business leaders are imploring lawmakers not to attempt a resurrection of Prop. HH.

Incredibly, as Colorado Politics also reported, the Democrats who control both chambers at the Legislature might do just that.

Charged by the governor with quickly passing an alternative to HH – given homeowners’ urgent need for property-tax relief – lawmakers instead seem intent on cannibalizing HH’s corpse. They might borrow some of HH’s worst features – and thumb their noses at voters.

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Let’s recap why the public hated Prop. HH. In part, because it was a bait-and-switch – some dubbed it bait-and-shaft – con job. It would have hijacked the excess revenue that was supposed to be returned to taxpayers as “TABOR refunds” under the state constitution and would have used the money to “pay for” the temporary property-tax cuts it grudgingly allowed.

Voters also hated it because it shortchanged them, keeping more revenue in withheld TABOR refunds than it would give back in slightly lower property taxes. And they hated it because the property-tax reduction it did offer was paltry compared with the skyrocketing tax bills property owners soon will face amid soaring real estate values along the Front Range and beyond.

Democratic lawmakers’ response? Among other pending attempts to water down property-tax relief, they might try to tap – steal – taxpayers’ TABOR refunds, anyway. Either the legislative leadership has been in a trance and is blissfully unaware of last week’s vote tally, or it just doesn’t care.

Now’s the time for Gov. Jared Polis to burnish his bona fides as a rumored presidential contender. Here’s his chance to corral his fellow Dems on the second floor at the Capitol – behind closed doors is fine – and bring down the hammer.

Didn’t he convene the special session explicitly because of the thrashing given to the proposal he and the Legislature had embraced? Time for a new tack, no?

The Republican minority at the statehouse might be badly outnumbered these days, but on this issue, it seems to be channeling public sentiment.

A draft bill from the GOP’s Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Brighton and Rep. Rose Pugliese of Colorado Springs would, among other provisions, lower the statewide assessment rate for residential real property to 6.5%.

It would cover lost revenue to public schools by using the state’s General Fund. It would not touch TABOR refunds. A similar proposal is pending from House GOP Leader Mike Lynch of Wellington and Republican Sen. Byron Pelton of Sterling.

The Republican proposals also would take up property-tax reform in the long haul by setting up a task force to mull options.

“We feel very strongly the voters have spoken to defeat Proposition HH, and we will respect the will of the people,” Pugliese said.

For the few days lawmakers will be in special session, Democrats, including Polis, would be wise to follow the Republicans’ lead.

Denver Gazette Editorial Board