Rep. Brian DelGrosso,
R-Loveland, called the budget plan bipartisan but argued against a related severance tax measure.
House lawmakers gave final approval Thursday with two-thirds of the Republican caucus voting against the spending plan.
The sends the bill back to the Senate, which approved a different version a week ago. The two chambers will meet next week to negotiate a compromise plan and .
“No one got everything they want but together we passed a reasonable, responsible, balanced budget,” said Rep. Millie Hamner, a Dillon Democrat and budget writer.
The House vote represents , where the Republican majority supported it and most Democrats opposed it.
House GOP leader Brian DelGrosso of Loveland called it a “bipartisan budget” and voiced support for the measure but the rank-and-file members split on the vote.
The bigger spending fight came later when the House considered a bill to divert $20 million in severance taxes earmarked for local governments to state coffers to balance the budget. The bill — SB 255 — drew stiff opposition from Republicans, who argued the state is robbing local governments, who get the taxes in grants.
“Is it principled to take money away that is not yours and to give it to somebody else?,” DelGrosso said, who called it “the most fiscally irresponsible bill of the session.”
Five Republicans sided with Democrats to approve the measure and two Democrats voted against.
