In the final hours of the lawmaking session, the General Assembly finalized a $30.3 billion state budget after weeks of difficult work to close a $3 billion deficit. Instead of expressing relief at the finish line, the top legislative budget writer issued a warning. “For those of you who haven’t heard the news flash, next […]
Joint Budget Committee
Posted inSun Investigation
Oil and gas and private donors paid for initiatives in Hickenlooper’s administration, investigation finds
Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper accepted millions of dollars from corporations and nonprofits to fund initiatives and positions in his office — an arrangement that came with limited oversight and public disclosure despite the potential conflicts of interest. The most significant corporate donations came from the oil and gas industry, where Anadarko Petroleum and Noble […]
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 inCOVID, Health, Politics and Government
How Colorado lawmakers closed a $3 billion shortfall to balance the budget and why it led to tears
To address a $3 billion shortfall, Colorado lawmakers made a series of drastic spending cuts Thursday and moved close to finalizing a state budget battered by the coronavirus and the paralyzed economy. The legislative budget committee cut $448 million from K-12 education — a 10% cut compared to a year ago. The actual cut is […]
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 inBusiness, COVID, News, Outdoors, Politics and Government
Colorado’s tourism marketing budget revived as lawmakers bet travelers will be crucial to coronavirus recovery
The Joint Budget Committee on Friday finalized a plan to give the Colorado Tourism Office $10 million, reversing an initial plan to defund tourism promotion as lawmakers slash more than $3 billion from the state’s COVID-19-ravaged budget. The tourism industry rallied last week after committee staff recommended eliminating 87% of the state’s tourism budget. The […]
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 inBusiness, COVID, News, Politics and Government
Coronavirus may trigger the second-largest property tax cut in Colorado history, further crippling local budgets
At a moment when state and local governments are already drowning in red ink, Colorado’s constitution is now projected to trigger the second-largest residential property tax cut in modern history. Under forecasts presented Tuesday, Colorado lawmakers could be asked to cut residential property taxes by nearly 18% in 2021 to comply with a tax-limiting constitutional […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado is the only state without a rainy day fund. Now the coronavirus means it will pay the price.
In early February, the governor’s office and state treasurer issued a warning to lawmakers: Colorado is the only state in the nation without a rainy day fund to buffer against a recession. Now is the time the state should save for a downturn, they said, before it’s too late. “We all know that the economy, […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: We’ve been here before — recovery from the coronavirus crisis is conditional
“The State of Colorado has been and is passing through a period of stress and suffering … which has resulted in unparalleled conditions of unemployment and destitution, and … relief funds … have been inadequate to meet the problem.” No, this is not an excerpt from a resolution passed by the Colorado General Assembly to […]