We are about two-thirds of the way through the session, and the Democrats have shown exemplary creativity in finding new ways to collect money from Coloradans through imposing new fees and increasing existing fees. The fees proposed this year, if enacted, will increase the cost of staying at a hospital, getting married, burying a loved one, getting a driver's license, buying a home, purchasing tires, driving a car, buying gas, using a telephone, and eating at delis.
Here is a partial list of the fee increases under consideration this session (the dollar amount listed reflects the proposed total fee):
- Small hospital annual fee (25 beds or fewer): $203,866
- Marriage license fee: $30
- Registration fee increase for motor vehicles: $0.60
- Car registration surcharge for road safety: $22.74
- Ambulance fee increase: $2
- Surcharge increase for hunting, fishing, and off-road vehicle licenses: $0.50
- Tire recycling fee: $3.25
- Mortgage loan license fee increase: $91
- Interior decorating license fee increase: $253
- Annual license fee for grocery stores with delis: $207-690
- New fee for foreign doctors who wish to practice medicine in Colorado: $1000
- Athletic trainer annual license renewal fee: $175
- Fee increase for standard license plate tags: $1.89
- Car registration surcharge for bridge safety: $9.10
- Fee increase for specialized license plate tags: $2.82
- Initial licensing fee for naturopathic doctors: $1,725
- Brain injury surcharge for DUI convictions: $20
- Annual license renewal fee for naturopathic doctors: $1,200
- Funeral home registration fee: $469
- State registration and titling system fee: $0.60
- Mid-sized hospital annual fee (25-99 beds): $731,330
- Annual grocery store license fee: $115-500
- Late car registration fee: $25.00
- Athletic trainer initial licensing fee: $257
- Rental car daily fee increase: $2.00
- Monthly telephone use fee: $0.105
- Annual restaurant license fee: $225-310
- Moderate-sized hospital annual fee (100-300 beds): $7,763,353
- Vehicle permit fee for divisible loads: $100.00
- New surcharge for speeding violations: $15
- Large hospital annual fee (300 beds or more): $14,129,302
- Gas station annual license fee: $1,745