WESTERN SLOPE, Colo. – After recently overcoming a $1 billion budget gap, Colorado now faces an even larger financial challenge, with a potential $1.2 billion deficit looming over the state.
“This is serious. I think we need an intervention,” said State Sen. Janice Rich of District 7. “We’ve had one-party control for seven years, inflation has gone up 26%, and our population has only grown 5%.” Rich also noted that the state budget has increased by 50% and added 4,000 new full-time employees during that time.
According to officials from the state’s Joint Budget Committee, the deficit stems largely from recent corporate tax cuts that reversed gains made during the last legislative session.
“We are just trying to get our arms around what this big bill actually means for the state,” said State Rep. Emily Sirota of Denver. “We know we are going to have to close around a $1 billion gap, which most certainly will mean a reduction of services and care.”
Governor Jared Polis’ office responded to the growing concern with a statement acknowledging the impact of recent federal policy:
“The numbers don’t lie, and this new federal law is already ripping a massive hole in our current year’s budget,” the statement said. “The Governor has previously indicated we may need to reconvene the General Assembly to deal with the terrible impacts from the bill.”
Sen. Rich believes state decisions—not federal ones—are to blame. “Some of the bills passed forced counties like Mesa County to absorb costs through unfunded mandates. That’s not fair,” she said. “Pet projects and expanding programs with one-time funding created a hole, and now the funding is gone.”
Rep. Sirota pointed to broader economic inequality and Republican decisions to end certain supports. “That means families will be paying thousands more for health care every year. The very rich are getting richer, and the middle class is disappearing,” she said.
As Colorado officials debate next steps, a special legislative session remains on the table to address the mounting fiscal crisis.
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Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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