After days of tug of war, Republicans and Democrats stood together — yes, they actually stood together — at the Colorado statehouse Tuesday to announce a bipartisan budget deal.
For the first time since 2002, a divided legislature, with Republicans controlling the House and Democrats in charge of the Senate, had to reach a compromise on a budget.
To us, it’s further proof of what we’ve long believed: Divided government works.
While we would have liked to have seen more money pumped into K-12 education next year, compromise means not everyone is happy but the greater good is often served.
In previous years, the ruling party controlled the Joint Budget Committee and its members would simply write the budget and it would get an up or down vote from the General Assembly. Minority party lawmakers could sulk and give a thumbs down — no matter what was included in the budget.
This year, both parties had to come together to negotiate and capitulate and do what’s best for all of Colorado — not just the special interests that dominate their party politics.
“There is no doubt in my mind that the budget we crafted this year is better for Colorado,” GOP House Speaker Frank McNulty told Fox 31. “It recognizes the fact that we can’t recklessly rely on one-time funds; that we need to be helpful to small businesses, not harmful; and it also recognizes we need to invest in K-12 education even in these tough budget times.”
The deal, reached Tuesday afternoon, would decrease Gov. John Hickenlooper’s proposed cut to K-12 education from $332 million to $250 million, maintain a general fund reserve of 4 percent, which we think is smart, while also keeping at least $100 million in the State Education Fund, which has been raided far too often in recent years.
Senate President Brandon Shaffer, a Democrat, heralded the money added to K-12.
The bipartisan deal also included the partial restoration of a “vendor fee” benefit given to retailers for collecting state sales tax. The benefit, normally 3.3 percent of the sales tax collected, was suspended during the recession and was set to be reinstated, according to The Post’s Tim Hoover. Democrats wanted to continue the suspension, but Republicans argued that businesses needed the relief. Under the compromise, retailers would be allowed to keep 2.2 percent of the taxes collected instead of the full 3.3 percent.
The budget deal also will restore two tax exemptions that Democrats eliminated in 2010 when they controlled the statehouse.
Balancing a budget with a huge shortfall is never easy, especially with divided government. But lawmakers have proven it can be done without too much heartbreak — or heartburn.
