Diane Mitsch Bush Is a Tax and Spend Liberal. As a State

HIT: Diane Mitsch Bush is a tax and spend liberal. As a State Representative she supported a one hundred fifty percent increase in taxpayer funded film incentives, which could be used by Hollywood studios. She proposed billions in tax increases, supported raising the sales tax, and even voted to tax paint. BACKUP: Mitsch Bush proposed $13 billion in tax increases and $3.5 billion in bonds to fund new transportation projects: • In March 2016, Mitsch Bush argued that tax increases were needed to fund infrastructure. “And Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush, D-Steamboat Springs, noted that the Colorado Contractors Association is likely to put an initiative on the November ballot that will seek a sales-tax increase to do just that. ‘We will not be able to meet our infrastructure responsibility without some kind of increase in revenue,’ Mitsch Bush said. ‘We have ignored that, and we should not ignore it anymore.’” (Ed Sealover, “Numerous Attempts To Increase Road Funding In Colorado Budget Fail,” Denver Business Journal, 3/31/16) • Mitsch Bush was the “driving force” behind an effort to increase taxes by hundreds of millions of dollars per year for transportation. “In 2017, Bush was a driving force behind House Bill 1242, the Legislature's major transportation funding overhaul measure, which would have asked voters to approve the use of a sales tax increase and existing state funds to generate hundreds of millions of dollars annually over the next 20 years to fix Colorado's roads.” (Luke Perkins, “Steamboat Springs Democrat Will Challenge Scott Tipton For House Seat,” The Durango Herald, 7/6/17) • The Colorado House passed HB 1242, legislation to ask voters to approve a .62-cent statewide sales tax hike to generate $695 million for transportation. “Four Colorado House Republicans joined Democrats in approving a multi-billion-dollar transportation- funding proposal Friday, sending the bill on to an uncertain future in the divided Senate. House Bill 1242 seeks to ask voters in November to approve a 0.62-cent statewide sales tax hike that would generate $695 million annually for the next 20 years to improve Colorado's congested and aging transportation system. A total of $3.5 billion would go toward a bond sale to expand major highways such as Interstates 25 and 70, while the rest of the money would be split - 70 percent to local governments, and 30 percent to a new multi-modal transit project fund.” (Ed Sealover, “Transportation-Funding Bill Passes Colorado House With Some Bipartisan Backing,” Denver Business Journal, 3/31/17) o Many Republicans opposed the measure for leaning on voters to fund transportation. “Many Republicans fought the measure, however, arguing the Legislature abdicated its responsibility to prioritize transportation funding in its budget and instead will lean on voters, many of whom continue to struggle to bring personal-incomes up to where they were 10 years ago. Rep. Dave Williams, R- Colorado Springs, warned that voters will reject the tax-hike proposal because of this, leaving the Legislature with the same lack of funding for highway expansions and transit projects it has faced for a decade.” (Ed Sealover, “Transportation-Funding Bill Passes Colorado House With Some Bipartisan Backing,” Denver Business Journal, 3/31/17) o Mitsch Bush voted for HB 1242. “Concerning transportation funding, and in connection therewith, making an appropriation.” (Colorado General Assembly Website, “HB17- 1242,” Passed 41-24, Mitsch Bush Voted Aye, 3/31/17) (Colorado General Assembly Website, “HB17-1242,” Third Reading, Passed 41-24, Mitsch Bush Voted Aye, 3/31/17) o Mitsch Bush was a prime sponsor of HB 1242. (Colorado General Assembly Website, Bills, HB17- 1242, Accessed 7/25/18) (Colorado General Assembly Website, Revised Fiscal Note, “HB17-1242,” 3/21/17) • Mitsch Bush’s bill would have asked for a sales tax increase of 0.62 percent for 20 years, or $700 million per year. “Club 20 recently sent a membership alert about HB 1242, urging active support for this primary transportation funding bill in the legislature. The measure would put on this fall's ballot a 0.62 percent sales tax increase for a 20-year period (2018-2037) in order to stabilize and better fund highway work by the Colorado Department of Transportation. The expected increase in revenues for highways is estimated to be $700 million per year. The bill would also eliminate a current road safety surcharge on vehicle registrations, saving Coloradans $75 million on registration fees annually.” (Reed Kelley, “Club 20 Pushes Highway Funding Measure During Spring Conference,” Rio Blanco Herald Times, 4/20/17) o The Bill included $3.5 billion in bonds for construction. “The legislation would ask voters to raise $375 million each year over a 20-year period for high-priority state roads, bridges and other infrastructure; issue $3.5 billion in bonds for construction; and allocate millions of dollars for local busing and transit needs. It would raise the state sales tax from 2.9 percent to 3.5 percent - about 3 1/2 cents on the dollar. It also would lower vehicle registration fees.” (James Anderson, “House Gives Initial OK To Colorado Roads Funding Bill,” The Associated Press, 3/30/17) • Mitsch Bush’s proposal would have increased taxes by more than $13 billion over 20 years. “Minority Republicans peppered House Speaker Crisanta Duran, one of the bill's sponsors, with questions about the bill, which could generate more than $13 billion over 20 years to tackle a $9-billion-and-growing backlog in roads projects.” (James Anderson, “House Gives Initial OK To Colorado Roads Funding Bill,” The Associated Press, 3/30/17) • Mitsch Bush: “There’s something in here for everyone.” “‘It's statewide. There's something in here for everyone,’ said Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush, D Steamboat Springs, and the House transportation chairwoman.” (John Frank, “Paving Way To Better Roads,” The Denver Post, 3/9/17) • Mitsch Bush celebrated the introduction of her sales tax bill by hugging Speaker Crisanta Duran. (Vic Vela, Twitter, 3/8/17) As a State Representative, Diane Mitsch Bush supported a 150 percent increase in taxpayer money for Hollywood incentives: • In April 2013, the Colorado House of Representatives increased the budget for the state’s film-incentives program by $1.5 million dollars. “Colorado House of Representatives members added $1.5 million for the state's film-incentives program to the state budget Thursday. That sets up a showdown with the Senate, which rejected a boost in funding for the nine-month-old program last week.” (Ed Sealover, “Showdown Looms Over Money For Colorado Movie-Incentive Program,” Denver Business Journal, 4/4/13) • The additional funding increased the program by 150 percent compared to the original amount of “just $1 million.” “The program is scheduled to get just $1 million in the budget that was introduced last week by the Legislature's Joint Budget Committee.” (Ed Sealover, “Showdown Looms Over Money For Colorado Movie-Incentive Program,” Denver Business Journal, 4/4/13) • Mitsch Bush supported the increase and said it was “very helpful for our local economies.” “‘The [return on investment] in this sector is very, very good, and it really is very helpful for our local economies,’ added Rep. Diane Mitsch Bush, D-Steamboat Springs.” (Ed Sealover, “Showdown Looms Over Money For Colorado Movie-Incentive Program,” Denver Business Journal, 4/4/13) As a State Representative, Diane Mitsch Bush voted to tax paint to pay for a paint recycling program: • In April 2014, the Colorado House voted to tax paint to fund a statewide paint recycling program. “A new tax on household paint is headed to the governor's desk. The Colorado House voted 38-26 Friday for a bill to tax paint to fund a statewide paint recycling program. The bill would make Colorado the eighth state to require paint manufacturers to develop recycling or take-back programs. The paint take-back programs would be funded with a new per-gallon tax on household paint. The size of the tax wasn't specified, but should be nominal, less than $1 a gallon, supporters said. The tax would begin in 2015. The measure would require paint manufacturers to establish enough take-back sites so that 90 percent of Coloradans have one within 15 miles of their homes. The paint taxes could be offset by reductions in local household hazardous waste fees. ___ Online: Senate Bill 29: http://bit.ly/1pyVaJm” (“Colorado Paint Tax Heads To Governor,” The Associated Press, 4/25/14) o “The size of the tax wasn't specified, but should be nominal, less than $1 a gallon, supporters said.” (“Colorado Paint Tax Heads To Governor,” The Associated Press, 4/25/14) • Mitsch Bush voted for SB 29. (Colorado House Of Representatives, House Journal, 69th General Assembly, Second Regular Session, 108th Legislative Day, “SB14- 029,” Passed 38-26, Mitsch Bush Voted Aye, 4/25/14) Diane Mitsch Bush has served in, or sought election to, public office since 2006, and volunteered in government roles since 1996: • From 1996-2006, Mitsch Bush served as a volunteer member of the Routt County Planning Commission. (Diane Mitsch Bush for Congress, “Summary of Qualifications,” Website, Accessed 8/3/20) • From 2007-2012, Diane Mitsch Bush served on the Routt County Commission. (Ernest Luning, "The Race For CD 3 | About the candidate: Diane Mitsch Bush,” Colorado Politics, 8/2/20) • From 2013-2017, Mitsch Bush served in the Colorado House of Representatives. (Ernest Luning, "The Race For CD 3 | About the candidate: Diane Mitsch Bush,” Colorado Politics, 8/2/20) Diane Mitsch Bush supports policies that would take more of your hard-earned money: • According to her 2018 campaign website, Mitsch Bush supported the Green New Deal.

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