New House Speaker and the Proposition HH Property Tax Deception

The October 26, 2023 broadcast covered the historic selection of Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House, a thorough examination of Colorado’s Proposition HH property tax measure, and conversations with school board candidates fighting for parental rights in Adams County’s 27J School District. Kim Monson explored the responsibilities that come with freedom and the importance of holding government accountable. Mike Johnson Elected Speaker of the House Start listening at 42:20 – Hour 1 Wade Miller, Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Renewing America, analyzes the selection of Mike Johnson as the new Speaker of the House. After Kevin McCarthy’s removal by eight members, the process played out as many conservatives anticipated. Steve Scalise was blocked in the first round, moderates retaliated against Jim Jordan, and Tom Emmer faced opposition from Trump supporters. Miller notes that K Street lobbyists scrambled at Johnson’s selection because he is not one of their groomed candidates. Johnson represents a reset for Congress, someone not beholden to the McCarthy faction’s supply lines of power. Miller emphasizes that what matters most is not a speaker’s individual positions but their interests and how they view their capability to remain as speaker. “K Street is basically a euphemism for all of the D.C. lobbyists. And so they’re kind of panicking because this is not one of their paid guys that they’ve been grooming for years to make sure that their special interests are taken care of.” Wade Miller, COO, Center for Renewing America Proposition HH Exposes Property Tax Assault Start listening at 70:32 – Hour 2 Toby Damisch, Douglas County Assessor, exposes the deception behind Proposition HH. The ballot language asks whether the state should reduce property taxes, but the actual 48-page legislation tells a different story. It creates four new subclasses of residential property, sets up opportunities for special interests to pressure legislators for tax breaks, and requires homeowners to provide Social Security numbers for every household occupant. Damisch explains that the measure passed through committee in just two to three hours on the last possible day, with no meaningful public testimony on what he calls perhaps the most important TABOR and tax bill in Colorado history. The so-called senior exemption expansion is a myth, as seniors still need 10 years of residency to qualify. Douglas County alone received 31,000 residential appeals this spring, one out of every four homeowners, driven by assessment increases of 30 to 60 percent. “It’s a myth to call this a property tax bill. An absolute myth.” Toby Damisch, Douglas County Assessor School Board Races and Parental Rights in 27J Start listening at 24:56 – Hour 1 Derek Easdon and Shauna Herter break down their campaigns for the 27J School Board in Brighton, Commerce City, and Thornton. Easdon, a father of three and lifelong Adams County resident, highlights troubling statistics: the district’s math proficiency sits at 20 percent compared to the state average of 33 percent, while reading proficiency lags at 37 percent against a 47 percent state average. Despite these numbers, the district touts a 90 percent graduation rate. Herter, running in District 1, emphasizes rebuilding the bond between parents and teachers that deteriorated during COVID. Schools excluded parents from classroom involvement, and...