Common Sense Institute

We believe in the value of sound fiscal and economic research, and that educated policymakers, voters, and communities are essential to improving our shared economic future.

We examine the economic impact of policies, initiatives, and proposed laws by employing dynamic modeling that accurately measures the impact of each measure on the Colorado economy. To fully achieve our mission, we actively promote these solutions through the education of policy experts, lawmakers, community leaders, and the general public.

The mission of CSI is to engage on the issues that matter most to the future economic prosperity of the citizens of Colorado. We focus on promoting ideas and information that enhance our free-enterprise system. Through monthly discussions with our diverse board of directors and strategic partnerships, quarterly events and monthly podcasts, we aim to have an impact on the understanding of the public policy and economic issues that matter most to Coloradans. This focus brings us to study a range of subject areas including improving education outcomes, sound fiscal policy that does not put the taxpayer at future risk, and establishing a regulatory environment that enables free-enterprise.

In 2022, we continue to focus on examining how some issues and policies concerning pension reform, oil and gas regulation, K-12 education, health care, water in Colorado, TABOR, and tax increase measures might impact the overall health of Colorado and its citizens.

We own a license for Tax PI+ REMI dynamic model for the state of Colorado and regions of Denver South and Metro Denver EDC. REMI is a dynamic economic modeling program created by Dr. George Treyz. Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI), founded by Dr.Treyz in 1980 is located in Amherst, MA. The REMI model is a regional economic modeling program created to inform and improve the quality of public policy decisions.

In 2021, we achieved our mission and our voice was heard. We brought sound fiscal analysis, economic modeling and the truth to Coloradans on a list of issues.

A couple of the issues we worked on were:
- House Bill 21-1232: Standardized Health Benefit Plan Colorado Option
- Proposition 119: Creates an out-of-school education program and a board to govern it and increases the marijuana retail sales tax by 5% to partially fund the program
- Proposition 120: Reduces the residential and non-residential property tax rates; authorizes the state to retain and spend $25 million in revenue above the state's TABOR spending cap, which it would otherwise be required to refund to taxpayers
- Ordinance 303: Unauthorized Camping Enforcement and Safety
- Ordinance 304: Denver Sales Tax Cap
- Ballot Measure 2B: Denver Housing and Sheltering System Bonds
- A Colorado Housing Development Blueprint For Transformational Change
- Economic Footprint of Homelessness in the Denver Metro Area
- An Economic Analysis of Crime and the Need for Data Driven Solutions
- The She-Cession in Colorado: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women
- Colorado’s Competitiveness: The Challenge of Economic Recovery


With all of those studies and successes, we also did much more.

By following the attached link, you will be able to view our Annual Report from 2021. This will give you a glimpse into what we have accomplished this far and what will be coming next:

https://commonsenseinstituteco.org/2021-annual-report/