Colorado budget writers approve changes to free school lunches, food banks, and multi-modal projects
The Colorado state budget is starting to take shape as budget writers finalize $1.2 billion in cuts.
Those cuts include $1 million to food banks, $72 million to multi-modal projects, and the elimination of the Disordered Eating Prevention program, Kidney Disease Task Force and school mental health screenings.
"It is excruciating, it's painful, it's hard choices," said Senator Jeff Bridges, Chair of the Joint Budget Committee, which is still determining funding for K-12 education and Medicaid.
While Governor Polis's budget request called for using a one-year student headcount instead of a 4-year average to determine per-pupil funding for K-12 schools, Bridges said that won't happen. "We're not eliminating averaging. Not next year," he asserted.
He said the committee has set aside $150 million more for K-12 right now and, depending on whether lawmakers decide to implement the new School Finance Act, that could climb to $250 million. "Funding for schools will absolutely increase. How that increases and by how much that increases, that is up for debate," said Bridges.
Funding for Medicaid is also up for debate. The Governor's budget request called for keeping provider rates flat.
Senator Barb Kirkmeyer, who also sits on the Joint Budget Committee, wants an inflationary increase. "I'm really disappointed we waited until the last day. Here we are, trying to close out budget, and they're talking about cutting Medicaid. Because, when we don't increase the Medicaid provider rate, it's effectively cutting Medicaid by 2.4%."
Kirkmeyer has identified other cuts instead, including $16 million in unspent funds in the Behavioral Health Administration, $10.5 million from the Multimodal Opportunity Fund, $28.4 million from a universal preschool reserve fund, and $9 million from a fund in the legislative branch that is being used for office renovations and new furniture. "Furniture? Because that's more important than families?" Kirkmeyer said. "We have to pick priorities here."
So do voters. A program that funds free school lunches for all K-12 school kids is $42 million over budget. The committee voted to spend $8 million to keep the program going through December. Then it would be available only in schools where 25% of students qualify for federal assistance programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and free and reduced lunch unless two ballot measures pass in November. The measures would provide additional money for the program by limiting the tax deductions that high-income earners can claim.
"Making sure kids can learn means making sure they're not hungry," said Bridges. "This is a core of how we make sure that all the other dollars we invest in education are going to good use. If voters say yes to both, Healthy School Meals for All will continue. If they say no, then Healthy School Meals will change."
New revenue forecasts released last week show Colorado's economy is growing, but unemployment is creeping up and consumer spending is slowing, increasing the risk of a recession. Economists have said much depends on what happens at the federal level where Congress is considering cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from Medicaid. If that happens, the legislature will likely have to come back for a special session.
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