Polis Presents His State Budget – But It Doesn’t Matter

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Denver, CO – Boulder Governor Jared Polis presented his budget to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee – but it doesn’t matter. Now you may think this is a click-bait headline, but let us explain the Colorado budgeting process.

Scroll ahead to get our cutting edge political commentary if you don’t want to learn something, or this is old news. Really, we’re cutting edge, believe us – we’re the press, and we’re here to help [LOL]…

The entire budget for the State of Colorado is written by the six members of the all-too-powerful Joint Budget Committee or “JBC” as it’s called. The JBC consists of three state senators and three state representatives. The ruling party has the majority on the committee (extremist Democrats control it). Currently, Republicans are outnumbered four to two on the committee.

Now you need to understand, even though the legislature has committees with such names as “Education,” “Transportation,” and “Finance,” they have nothing to do with writing the budget for those areas.

So, the JBC writes the budget. It’s presented to one of the chambers of the legislature, odd number years in the Senate, even number years in the House – or vice-versa. It doesn’t matter – you’ll understand in a minute.

The first chamber of the legislature amends the JBC’s budget. Then it’s sent to the second chamber. The first thing the second chamber does is strip all amendments off of the budget from the first chamber (basically a waste of time for the first chamber). The second chamber then adds its own amendments to the budget.

Here’s the kicker – both chambers have to agree on the exact same budget to pass it. So the budget goes back to the first chamber for reconciliation (basically agreement). If they don’t and they never do agree, the budget goes to a “Conference Committee” made up equally of both chambers, chosen by the Speaker of The House and the Senate President.

But guess what? The Conference Committee always seems to be made up of the JBC members. So the JBC makes the necessary changes at their discretion, and Colorado pretty much ends up with the exact same budget the JBC originally proposed. That budget is again presented to both chambers. They rubber-stamp it, and it goes to the governor for his signature.

We do not have a “Line-item Veto” in Colorado. So the governor can threaten not to sign the budget (veto) and get “his” budget passed, but that never happens.

This is why the governor’s budget doesn’t really matter – and neither does the opinion of 94 out of 100 legislators. The JBC has all of the power when it comes to the Colorado budget.

The “cutting edge” political commentary…Place your disappointments in the comments section…

So, according to Polis, we have the extra money in the budget. Wait. What?!

Let us quote his majesty Jared Polis via Colorado Politics:

Polis pointed out that the funding increase for this year’s budget, at 6.2%, was exceptional, and that the 2.9% next year is in line with inflation. “There’s not a lot of free money” available, he said. 

Colorado Politics, November 13, 2019

So, for the last ten years, the Democrats and some liberal Republicans have been trying to gut the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) because the state doesn’t have enough money. Most recently, Proposition CC went down in flames, rejected by voters, trying to do just that. But the state is flush with cash. Even Polis admits that. Well, yeah, the budget has increased by over 30% in the past seven years.

It’s funny how selective the left is on their “inconvenient truth” assertions. Global warming is real. Well, now it’s “Climate Change.” Colorado government needs more money on November 5, and now they have the cash on November 13. Al Gore invented the internet, Hillary was cheated, etc…

Some more boring information you should know…

He also announced he was amending his budget submission to put more money into reducing the Budget Stabilization Factor, the debt to K-12 schools that was started during the recession a decade ago. That debt reached a high of $1 billion in 2010-11. With the $52 million (an increase of $12 million from his original proposal), the debt would drop down to about $520 million.

Colorado Politics, November 13, 2019

The left and some Republicans claim that K-12 education is owed money. This is called the “Budget Stabilization Factor” formerly and sometimes currently known as the “Negative Factor.” This is a ploy by the left and the government’s educational institutional people claiming that Amendment 23 to the State Constitution was supposed to fund education at certain levels. Unfortunately for them, this is a myth, and the legislature has not been forced by the courts (and this has been tried by the left) to fund K-12 education at these levels.

Education funding has increased every year above inflation (usually well above inflation) except FY 2000-2001, when it was funded at the previous year’s level plus inflation (so still an increase). The Budget Stabilization Factor or Negative Factor is really just a messaging tool by the left to claim K-12 is being underfunded, and the money is being stolen. This isn’t true but makes for more dramatic messaging for the people that want more of our hard-earned money for government services.

So, did you waste time reading this article?

No. Here are the highlights:

• The governor’s budget doesn’t matter, six members of the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) control the State Budget
• Really your local legislator’s opinion and vote on the budget doesn’t matter unless they are on the JBC
• Colorado government is flush with money; they don’t need more. Even Governor Polis admits this.
• The Negative Factor – we owe schools money – is a myth. Don’t believe the rhetoric from the left.

Now that you have new knowledge and hence, ammo, go out and do battle with the left on your favorite platform.

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