Tag: 2026 27 State Budget
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Colorado governor signs $47 billion budget in which ‘nobody won’
Gov. Jared Polis on Friday officially signed a $46.87 billion spending plan for the Colorado state government in the next fiscal year. His signature is the culmination of months of work by legislators, who resorted to cuts, transfers and other mechanisms to balance the 2026-27 budget amid a deficit of more than $1 billion. That…
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Colorado’s $46.8 billion budget nears finish line. Here’s what changed
Colorado legislators on Tuesday adopted a $46.8 billion plan to pay for state operations and programs next year after a joint panel reconciled differences between the House and Senate versions. A small group of lawmakers had resolved those differences. Lawmakers adopted what is called the conference committee report on House Bill 1410 — the budget…
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After internal strategy sessions, Colorado Senate to take up $46B budget debate
Tax Day carries added weight at the state Capitol this year, as the Senate prepares to take up the 2026‑27 budget on Wednesday following a day of preparations by both Republican and Democratic caucuses. Senators are expected to raise some of the House amendments from last week’s debate, as well as their own ideas. On…
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Colorado House finishes work on 2026-27 state budget, finally
The House on Saturday, after four days of work – it usually takes two – finished up their work and voted on the $46.8 billion 2026-27 state budget, as contained in House Bill 1410 and 64 accompanying measures designed to help balance the budget. The delay in getting to the finish line was caused by…
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What you need to know about the Colorado legislature reading a 661-page bill aloud
A rarely used procedural move by a Republican legislator threw the Colorado House into an extended slowdown, after she invoked her right to have a nearly 700-page state budget bill read aloud in full. Once Rep. Brandi Bradley, R‑Roxborough Park, made the request, the House was required by law to read House Bill 1410, which…
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Colorado lawmakers grapple with spending cuts amid $1 billion-plus deficit
The battle over Colorado’s budget for next year — which stalled in the House over a procedural maneuver — entered a more difficult phase on Thursday, when legislators grappled with hundreds of millions of dollars in proposed reductions to balance the budget. The state constitution requires a balanced budget, although that rarely stays balanced for…
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Colorado House opens debate on $46.8B budget already showing strain
With rising Medicaid costs, no dollars set aside for new legislation and dozens of bills still seeking funding, Colorado lawmakers on Wednesday began debating the proposed $46.8 billion budget that is already proving difficult to keep on track. By the time the main budget measure and its 64 accompanying “orbital” bills — which rely on…
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Colorado House Democrats focus on prison costs in budget discussions
Colorado’s House Democrats pressed budget writers Tuesday over a nearly $70 million increase for the Department of Corrections, questioning why the state plans to add 941 prison beds and explore new prison capacity at a time when, they said, crime rates are falling and hundreds of inmates are eligible for parole. The majority of the…
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Inside the GOP caucus: Colorado legislator explains why a bigger budget still means cuts
Tasked with explaining a budget driven by rising caseloads, shifting federal dollars and a $1.5 billion shortfall, Joint Budget Committee member Rep. Rick Taggart spent Tuesday’s Republican caucus meeting detailing why the 2026–27 spending plan appears larger on paper, even as many state programs face cuts. “If I look a little tired, I am,” Taggart…
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Colorado lawmakers propose deep cuts to close $1.2B budget gap
The panel of Colorado legislators in charge of crafting next year’s budget has finalized the 2026–27 spending plan built on deep cuts and one‑time cash transfers in an attempt to close a shortfall of more than $1.2 billion. The plan is leaving lawmakers frustrated with the reductions to core services. Some cited cuts to health…