By Matt Volz, Kaiser Health News HELENA, Mont. — When the pandemic hit, health officials in Montana’s Beaverhead County had barely begun to fill a hole left by the 2017 closure of the local public assistance office, mental health clinic, chemical dependency center and job placement office after the state’s last budget shortfall. Now, those […]
budget cuts
Posted inBusiness, Election 2020, Politics and Government
Proposition 116 explained: Colorado must decide whether an income tax cut is worth a hit to state budget
A measure on the 2020 ballot in Colorado proposes a permanent cut to the state’s income tax rate that would give the average taxpayer a $37 break annually. The limited-government conservatives and Republican lawmakers backing Proposition 116 say the tax relief comes at a crucial moment amid the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. The […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: We can heal the coronavirus’ economic wounds with Initiative 271
The COVID-19 global pandemic has spread across the country, and Colorado has not been spared. Over 38,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in our state, with over 1,700 deaths, and no end in sight. We aren’t just facing an unprecedented health crisis – for many, especially families with low incomes, the economic impact has been just […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Cut defense spending to invest in our coronavirus recovery
We have a prioritization problem in this country — one that has become even more brutally apparent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of putting a Band-Aid on our problems, we need to start investing in programs and resources that are beneficial from the outset. The way we spend our money speaks to […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: An open letter to Colorado lawmakers from Colorado Concern
Dear Legislative Leaders, This session has been far from typical. The Colorado of January is all but unrecognizable today and your willingness to remain engaged, and work for the betterment of our state, is greatly appreciated. Many priorities have needed to be set aside because we no longer have the money to fund them or […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Nicolais: CU steps up to help students amid coronavirus concerns
In late March, I interviewed as a finalist for a position with the University of Colorado’s communications staff. I’m a three-time Buff – undergrad, law school and an MBA – and have always loved the idea of working for my alma mater. Immediately after a Friday evening interview with CU President Mark Kennedy, I received […]
Posted inBusiness, Politics and Government
To balance budget, Colorado lawmakers add to PERA’s long-term debt and backtrack from landmark deal
Just two years after Colorado approved sweeping pension reforms aimed at wiping out what was then an unfunded $32 billion debt to public sector retirees, state budget writers — facing a financial catastrophe of their own — have temporarily undone a portion of the landmark rescue package. The Joint Budget Committee tentatively decided to eliminate […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Environment, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Colorado now owns Fishers Peak, but funds to build the newest state park are in coronavirus limbo
The deal went down on a picnic table in Broomfield on April 1. “The quietest acquisition of a $25 million property no one ever heard of,” GOCO boss Chris Castilian said. With a notary public standing 6 feet away, a flurry of signatures transferred southern Colorado’s 30 square-mile Fishers Peak to the state of Colorado. […]
Posted inCartoons, Opinion
Jim Morrissey: Colorado’s delicate coronavirus budget operation
More cartoons from The Colorado Sun.