DENVER—Colorado Republicans and Democrats say they will all have to give up some of their cherished programs as the state struggles to cut $1.1 billion next year.
Democrats say public education will be a target again next year after lawmakers cut $260 million last year. Republicans say they will have to cut funding for prisons, get rid of some economic development programs and cut money for tourism promotion.
The first order of business for Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter is to cut $248 million from this year’s budget, which he promised to do by Oct. 31.
On Nov. 1, he will submit his budget for next year to the Joint Budget Committee, which begins discussions on Nov. 10.
State Rep. Mark Ferrandino, a Democrat from Denver who chairs the Joint Budget Committee that sets state spending priorities, said Republican suggestions to cut state offices, such as the Governor’s Energy Office, and to consolidate the state’s 16 departments are unrealistic.
“Many of their recommendations don’t affect the general fund, which is where we have our shortfall,” Ferrandino said.
He said GOP proposals to roll back hospital provider fees to subsidize hospital beds will not help cut the budget because they include federal funding and money from hospitals.
Ferrandino said proposals to cut the state budget across the board would have “real impacts,” forcing a cut of another $400 million from public education.
“They seem to be a lot of recycled stuff,” Ferrandino said.
Former budget committee member Rep. Kent Lambert said lawmakers need to consider turning over economic development to private companies, cut funding for tourism, education and Medicaid and close a dozen smaller state prisons.
“We lost 170,000 private sector jobs last year. They continue to increase government sector jobs at the expense of the private sector,” the Republican said.
Senate Minority Leader Mike Kopp said lawmakers cannot offer the same budget balancing tricks offered in the past and expect a different outcome.
“We really don’t need to see their ideas on paper. We’ve seen them in action for the past four years. All of their ideas resulted in increased taxes and fees creating higher unemployment, except for government bureaucrats,” Kopp said.
