There’s still a month until Colorado’s legislative session begins, but Republicans and Democrats on Monday started the debate early over the state budget and whether to ease constitutional spending limits.
The sparks came at the Colorado Press Association’s annual legislative forum at the Denver Press Club.
Gov. Bill Ritter joined fellow Democratic House Speaker Terrance Carroll of Denver and Senate President Brandon Shaffer of Longmont to speak to reporters and editors.
Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Josh Penry of Grand Junction and House Minority Leader Mike May of Parker represented Republicans.
The state faces a shortfall of at least $560 million in the current budget year that ends in June and must close a shortfall of more than $1 billion in the following 2010-11 fiscal year.
Ritter has proposed a variety of cuts and revenue-raising actions to balance the 2010-11 budget, including eliminating some $132 million in tax credits and exemptions.
Penry said Ritter needs to look harder at cutting the state payroll, saying he expected the Democratic-led legislature to approve Ritter’s proposals.
“Democrats have shown no capacity to say no to this governor, even for his worst ideas,” Penry said.
That prompted a retort from Carroll.
“The governor’s proposal reflects reality,” Carroll said, “and time after time, when given the opportunity to engage in governance of this state, my friends across the aisle failed to engage in that process.”
Some lawmakers favor asking voters to create a special commission that could recommend one catch-all constitutional fix to voters in 2012.
That could mean changes to the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, which limits state revenue, and Amendment 23, which requires annual increases in spending for schools. The Gallagher Amendment, which limits residential property taxes, could be included.
Shaffer said a recent tour of the state by Senate Democrats revealed a common sentiment.
“People want a representative democracy,” he said, saying constitutional mandates did not accomplish that.
But Republicans said gutting TABOR is not the answer to the state’s budget woes.
“I’m always amused that TABOR is the whipping boy for everything from the recession to Hurricane Katrina,” May said. “TABOR has absolutely nothing do with our current problem. We don’t have revenues.”
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com1
