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DENVER — Colorado lawmakers kicked off a new legislative session Wednesday and face the daunting task of addressing a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall.
Economists attribute the deficit to several factors, including increasing Medicaid costs, leaving legislators with tough decisions in the months ahead.
During her opening address to the chamber, Speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, acknowledged the challenges ahead.
“Our work this year will not be easy,” McCluskie said. “We will need to trim nearly $1 billion from our state budget in a way that ensures strong safety net services for the most vulnerable among us.”
Kevin Vick, president of the Colorado Education Association (CEA), is worried education funding will be on the chopping block.
“Education has been suffering from the state borrowing from it for many years,” said Vick. “Since 2010, education has been shorted over $11 billion.”
This year was expected to mark a turning point, with education finally receiving full funding. However, Vick fears the budget shortfall may derail those plans.
While cuts are inevitable, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers said it’s important to protect education funding.
“I’m going to be fighting it. I’ll be fighting any chance at all to cut our education,” said State Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Centennial.
State Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, agreed.
“Education should be a priority to be fully funded first. It should be the last thing they cut,” said Pelton.
Adding to the tension, Gov. Jared Polis has proposed changes to the way school districts are funded.
Currently, much of the funding is based on a multi-year average of student enrollment. Polis said this results in districts receiving money for students who are no longer enrolled.
The governor’s proposal would shift funding to reflect current-year enrollment, which could reduce funding for some districts. Vick sharply criticized the proposal.
“I think it’s a re-institution of the Budget Stabilization Factor without actually calling it that,” Vick said.
The Budget Stabilization Factor has long been blamed for underfunding schools across Colorado.
Polis has also suggested phasing in a new school funding formula over seven years as another cost-saving measure. The new funding formula passed last year and is supposed to be phased in over six years, starting in the 2025-26 fiscal year.
The governor’s plan to slow down the phase-in drew push-back from some lawmakers.
The governor’s office announced a revised proposal last week that includes a plan to phase-in the formula over six years as the law requires.
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