Gov. Hickenlooper Touring State To Promote TABOR Changes

<p>(Hart Van Denburg/CPR News)</p>
<p>Gov. John Hickenlooper, photographed at his office on Monday, July 20, 2015, during a taping of Colorado Matters.</p>

Gov. John Hickenlooper has launched a statewide tour to push for a change in how the state spends money, asking voters to help him overhaul the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, also known as TABOR.

Hickenlooper wants to exempt a hospital provider fee from state revenue collections under TABOR because it pushes Colorado over a constitutional cap, prompting taxpayer refunds next year even though the state is struggling to adequately fund priority areas.

According to the Denver Post, Hickenlooper wants constituents to prod lawmakers after they rejected a bill to change TABOR accounting. The Republican-led Senate rebuffed the attempt, saying it was merely an effort to weaken the state's spending limits.