Colorado voters passed a ballot measure that advocates say will be a lifeline for victim services.Chet Strange/AP

Colorado voters A ballot measure was introduced to victory on Tuesday provide millions of critical dollars to organizations supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence through the introduction of a new tax on firearms and ammunition.

With nearly three-quarters of the votes counted Wednesday morning, measurementThe proposal, known as the KK Proposal, was accepted with 54 percent of the vote. When it goes into effect next April, it will impose a 6.5 percent excise tax on firearms and ammunition, generating an estimated $39 million in annual revenue. The bulk of these funds (about $30 million) will go to organizations that support victims of crimes, mostly domestic and sexual violence; The remainder of the funds will support mental health services for veterans and youth, as well as increased mental health services. Safety in Colorado public schools.

This money is especially vital given the years-long decline in federal funds. The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) has forced organizations supporting survivors of domestic violence to cut staff and scale back services. recently researched Mother Jones. In Colorado, the state opts out of $31.3 million in VOCA funds In fiscal year 2017 reached approximately 13.6 million dollars latest financial yearWhen the money was used to support more than 125,000 survivors, the majority of whom were women victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. accordingly Ministry of Justice data.

When we spoke last month, general manager Roshan Kalantar Colorado without violenceThe statewide domestic violence coalition tells me that at least two programs in the state are on the verge of closing due to funding cuts. He said they now have a lifeline that can help keep them open, thanks to the passage of Prop KK. But according to a spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Criminal Justice, the funds will be distributed to eligible programs no earlier than January 2026; In the meantime, “there will be a gap and it will be difficult,” Kalantar said, adding that more federal funding cuts are expected. “We hope programs can get through this year with minimal impact.”

Democratic State Rep. Monica Duran, herself a domestic violence survivor, who introduced the bill that would become a ballot measure in the legislature earlier this year. he said in a statement Late Tuesday: “Tonight is truly a full circle moment for me; “As a young, single mother trapped in an abusive relationship, I would not be here today celebrating the passage of Prop KK without the support of crime victim services.”

“As federal dollars dwindle, Coloradans made the right choice by taking action tonight to help fill funding gaps in services for crime victims,” Duran continued. “From dealing with the difficult criminal justice system to helping secure child care, crime victim services play an important role in boosting morale by providing survivors with the resources they need to start over.”

Domestic violence advocates I spoke with said they saw the new tax as particularly appropriate given the role of domestic violence. firearms plays in domestic violence murders. There were 58 domestic violence deaths in Colorado last year, and more than three-quarters of them were women. caused by weapons status data. As Kalantar put it in our last conversation: “It feels very appropriate that people who make money selling guns in Colorado should participate in the recovery of survivors.”

The ballot measure has faced fierce opposition from the gun lobby, which claims the tax is unconstitutional, which would not apply to firearms dealers, law enforcement or active-duty military personnel who earn less than $20,000 annually. It may also face legal challenges such as: facing After the state of California enacted a similar measure earlier this year.