By Marianne Goodland | Denver Gazette
Colorado state House legislators on Wednesday debated and advanced a $44 billion spending plan for the next fiscal year.
They also approved 63 “orbital” bills designed to change state law in order to balance the state budget.
As introduced, the fiscal year 2025-26 budget stands at $43.9 billion, including $17 billion in general funds and $14 billion in federal dollars. General funds are the discretionary dollars, derived from individual and corporate income taxes, as well as sales and use taxes. Cash funds make up the rest, about $12.8 billion.
Lawmakers’ biggest hurdle is closing a $1.2 billion general fund shortfall, driven by higher-than-expected Medicaid costs and a structural deficit.
The first act of the House was to route the budget bill, Senate Bill 206, and the orbitals through the House Appropriations Committee.
The committee stripped out all the changes to SB 206 added by the Senate, including funding for obstetrics services in southeastern Colorado and higher provider rates for occupational, physical, and speech therapists, both in the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.
As the second reading debate on Wednesday began, Rep. Brandi Bradley, R-Douglas County, said she is “grateful for almost a budget deficit so we can start going through and DOGE-ing what we don’t need in our government.”
Bradley had at the ready 10 amendments during Wednesday’s debate on the main budget bill. Only one would have resulted in the state spending less money — an amendment to gut funding for the office of gun violence prevention, which would save $3 million.
Other Republicans offered numerous amendments to reduce state spending in a variety of programs, ranging from a low of $38,000 to as much as $36 million.
Just over a dozen amendments were adopted throughout the day, adding less than $5 million in general funds to the budget.
The first amendments dealt with decisions made in the state Senate last week.
Colorado Springs lawmakers offered an amendment to restore $436,616 in funding to the National Cybersecurity Center at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. It would be funded by withdrawing the same amount of general fund dollars earmarked for a recreation program at the Department of Corrections. The amendment, which was adopted, was sponsored by House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese and Rep. Amy Paschal, a Democrat. The Senate had adopted the same amendment.