FILE – The gold dome of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on March 23, 2023. In Colorado, a congressman on Wednesday, April 12, called for his medical debt ceiling to be lowered to his 3%, increased transparency of medical costs, and bills banning debt collection during appeals proceedings. approved. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Colorado legislators sent the annual budget bill to Gov. Jared Polis. This will determine state spending for the next fiscal year and will ripple through for years to come.
Approximately $38.5 billion in spending proposals — including a $1.2 billion increase to the General Fund — will fund state government operations and programs. Members of the Joint Budget Committee, who drafted the document and spearheaded it through the General Assembly, said their efforts after a federal budget downpour helped advance initiatives such as the environment, education and affordable housing. characterized primarily as the “year of implementation”.
“We are serving Colorado families by making record investments in K-12 education, supporting healthcare workers, and creating safer communities. It’s being done while keeping the state’s financial foundation strong,” said Senate Committee Chairman and Democrat Rachel Zensinger in a statement. “To create a balanced and thoughtful budget to fund the infrastructure needed to meet our obligations to our families and communities while ensuring that all Coloradans have what they need to thrive. I have been working hard.”
The budget also gives legislators an opportunity to highlight specific priorities. From expanding Medicaid coverage, to increasing per-student funding, to “very strong” reserves, here are some tips included in the package.
‘Record’ increase in funding per student, more time at Universal Preschool
Last year, lawmakers increased funding for Colorado schools by about $581 per student. This is a record from that time. Zensinger said the budget sent to The Police this year will be a $900 increase for him.
And that was before a formal public school funding bill, and the amount could go up even more as lawmakers debate how to tackle the ongoing education funding problem, she noted. The bill is expected to be debated in the coming weeks of the legislative session.
The proposal would also allow parents up to 15 hours of Universal Preschool in the year before kindergarten, up from the 10 hours promised when lawmakers launched the program last year. Children and families who meet certain criteria, such as income or special needs, may qualify for up to 25 hours.
The proposal also increases state funding for higher education by $147 million. This is not as much as the agency requested, but more than previous proposals. Also, institutions can raise tuition fees by 5 percent, he said, Zenzinger.
Office of School Safety, More than Millions for Crime Victims Among Public Safety Initiatives
Lawmakers have set up a school safety agency to secure millions of dollars in funding for crime victims.
The Office of School Safety oversees a resource center for school emergency preparedness and response and houses new grant programs.
Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Republican from Brighton and a member of the committee, said:
Lawmakers also added $12 million to the General Fund of the Colorado Crime Victims Services Fund and the Community Crime Victims Grant Program.
No More Limits on Adult Dental Services, New Doulas, and Donor Milk Services
Lawmakers removed the $1,500 annual cap on adult dental services for Medicaid recipients. The proposal will cost him about $4.6 million, a quarter of which is due to funds placed in the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund.
This was part of a $16.6 million expansion in eligibility and benefits provided by Health Care Policy and Treasury Department programs. These broader changes include money for doula services and donor milk benefits, and an increase in the number of speech therapy sessions before participants require further approval for services.
We also added more than $329 million to the funds used to reimburse providers. This is part of a broader effort by legislators to ensure the state remains competitive with the private sector of service providers.
Without that increase, Zenzinger says, “we can’t get providers because we’re not competitive enough.”
Budget Increases, But Lawmakers Keep Reserves
The budget also holds 15%, or about $2.3 billion, in reserves to blunt the next recession.
Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, a Watkins Republican and a member of the committee, said, “We have very strong reserves and are optimistic about taxpayers getting their refunds in the next few years. I am.” Protecting the taxpayer’s bill of rights, which requires states to return tax levies above a certain threshold, is one of his top priorities.
States should start preparing for the end of the federal bailout that Bockenfeld said the budget maker and the governor’s office are preparing.
However, Bockenfeld had some criticisms of the overall budget. bottom.
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