On Monday, Colorado lawmakers have finally approved $ 43.9 billion in spending plans to cut funds for transportation projects, local governments and dozens of social programs to increase health care and education costs.
But as difficult as this year’s budget, there was a widespread recognition that in some ways, the state’s financial photographs are expected to worsen here.
Greenwood Village Senator Jeff Bridges, chairman of the Joint Budget Committee, said, “It will be very bad next year.” The wound will be much deeper and much more painful.
The major budget bills along with most Republican members passed 21 and Senate from 24 to 11 to 24 to 11. Here it heads to the governor of the Jared Polis, which is expected to sign the law.
The lawmakers had to close the $ 1.2 billion shortage to balance the budget. This was a 7%cut, which is a $ 17 billion general fund in fiscal year 2025-26, which began on July 1. But they were able to avoid deep cuts with three of the largest spending areas (health care, K-12 and higher education).
Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, the Brighton Republican Party, said, “The Joint Budget Committee was very clear about priorities such as education, higher education, medical rates and child welfare.” This budget shows that we are still clear about that priority.
How to balance the budget
Health care was the main driver of the main budget crisis. Health care was the main driving force of the main budget crisis due to the cost that the state government rises faster than the state’s spending on the taxpayer’s rights.
Next year, TABOR CAP will increase its main income by 3.6%, and Medicaid Insurance will increase 5.7%or $ 280 million to cover long -term treatment costs for the aging population. Children’s Health Plan Plus Plus (a main insurance program for too many children to be qualiced by the family) has increased by 20%due to the increase in registration.
Hospitals and clinics that treat patients with Medicaid are effectively reduced by adjusting inflation. The budget requires an increase of 1.6% of the Medicaid provider’s main repayment rate, and many people are struggling with financial difficulties as the treatment that is not compensated by the epidemic increases.
The K-12 school district will receive $ 150 million more from the general fund. Some of the top Democrats say it will be enough to fully support the school and implement a new school financial formula under the Constitution.
The budget document tells a different story in the future. If lawmakers cannot offer greater increase in the next few years, the state will not be able to maintain the level of expenditures required by the new formula without depletion of the state education fund.
Public universities will get an increase of $ 40 million this year with a conflict of 2.5%. Through the budget, the university can increase the tuition by up to 3.5%for both Colorado residents and other students.
The main workers will also receive a 2.5%wage conflict in the next budget and will receive additional hikes in accordance with the new stage salary plan. But they must pay more costs for health insurance than the union agreed in the latest collective bargaining agreement.
In order to pay for all increase, budget writers said they had empty the proverb cushion in hunting for saving Nickel and Dimmes.
They have cut more than $ 114 million for traffic for two years. They returned their funds to local governments and reduced or eliminated a wide range of programs that members began during the epidemic period, including human resources development subsidies and social services. They reduced a million dollars in the food pan tree.
The Colorado win also agreed to reduce 1.5% of the main labor force.
This budget maintains a 15% general fund booking of the state. However, lawmakers can still provide funds for $ 350 million in law enforcement subsidies approved by state voters.
But budget writers were able to support the top priority of the legislature for a year, but they did not solve the basic structural problems of the state budget. Public service costs, that is, health care and education, are simply increasing faster than the state’s spending.
Most budget panels have refused to change
When the proposed expenditure plan landed in two rooms earlier this month, the House of Representatives and Senators approved more than 12 amendments to the budget package and agreed to a few people.
However, JBC (JBC, which acts as a meeting committee), can adjust the difference between the chambers and convey compromise measures by law. Last week, I refused to make most of my proposals from my colleagues.
They dismissed the House of Representatives to continue the property tax mutual programs managed by the State Finance Office.
They have nixed the Senate’s proposal to provide $ 1.2 million to the pregnant women program of the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center.
They even rebuked Congress for some of the two chambers agreed. Many of the House of Representatives and Senators voted for funding to the school’s renovation project for the deaf and blind people. But in unanimous votes, JBC said it was more important to spend money on firefighting systems at Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center, a major suction facility for new prison prisoners.
Budget writers said they did not have difficulty in the gravity of the trade -off, which continued to end the $ 1.2 billion spending gap.
Judy Amabile Senator, a member of the Boulder Democratic Party, served in JBC, said, “I have a big heart in school but I do not want to burn people in cells.
But JBC members tried to catch the line, but some concessions were made in fear that colleagues would rebel.
For example, the budget panel supported the proposal to remove medical insurance for community health services. It must start on July 1. Instead, the budget panel voted to 4-2 to delay the program for up to six months, saving $ 2.8 million in the state that the budget artist wants to cut.
Kirkmeyer and Emily Sirota spokesman, D-Denver, predicted that JBC needed to be resisted next year and predicted that it would be easier to remove the program before the program started.
In some cases, the legislature forced JBC’s hand. As part of a large 64 affordable budget package, budget writers tried to abolish kidney disease prevention task force. However, the House of Representatives completely rejected the bill in the voting of the party and forced the JBC to find savings elsewhere.
TABOR fight
The Democratic Party, which controls the legislative office in the legislative office and the Governor’s office in Colorado, is based on ideas to alleviate the long -term funding crisis. However, consensus has not yet been emerged between members of parliament and external organizations who need support to improve successful campaigns.
Some want to ask voters to raise income taxes to higher income taxes in progressive leftists. This measure will require voters’ approval to revise the constitution as well as the tax itself to eliminate the prohibition of the TABOR’s tier income tax structure.
Others want to take the TABOR cap itself by changing the profit limit or requesting it to be completely removed from the voters.
Some Democrats have made long -distance plans for the General Assembly to sue the state of the TABOR’s constitution. But after the legislative meeting, it is not clear that the bill will be supported by leadership for a long -standing controversial vote by the Republican Party.
In the meantime, budget artists have focused on trimming as many services as possible without interfering with major programs. But the overwhelming message of JBC will not harm the required service.
