Latest news with #JointBudgetCommittee
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Colorado Rep. Shannon Bird joins Democratic primary to challenge U.S. Rep. Evans
Rep. Shannon Bird, the chair of the Joint Budget Committee, speaks at the Colorado Capitol before Gov. Jared Polis signs the 2024-2025 fiscal year budget on April 29, 2024. (Sara Wilson/Colorado Newsline) Colorado state Rep. Shannon Bird, a Westminster Democrat, is joining the race to represent Colorado's competitive 8th Congressional District. Bird is the third Democrat to announce a bid to unseat U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Fort Lupton Republican who was elected in November 2024. 'Colorado families are being squeezed by rising costs and broken promises from politicians like Donald Trump and Gabe Evans,' Bird said in a statement announcing her run. 'While Trump and Evans push an agenda that's making lives harder, I've dedicated my career to fighting for hardworking Coloradans. From city council to the state capitol, I'm battle-tested with a record of showing up, listening, and delivering real results. That's what the people of Colorado deserve, and that's what I'll do for them in Congress.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The district is Colorado's newest and most competitive, drawn by an independent redistricting commission after Colorado was awarded an additional congressional seat following the 2020 census. The district encompasses parts of Denver's northern suburbs as well as more rural areas in southern Weld County. Evans unseated former Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo, who was the first person to represent the district. She announced she would seek reelection in April, and Colorado state Rep. Manny Rutinel, a Commerce City Democrat, announced a bid for the seat as well. Bird serves on the Colorado Legislature's powerful Joint Budget Committee, which drafts the annual state budget. She was first elected to the Legislature in 2018 after a stint on the Westminster City Council. With Republicans holding a slim majority in the House, the 8th District race could again prove crucial in determining control of Congress in the 2026 midterms. The National Republican Congressional Committee said the Democratic primary in the district is 'a sprint to the left' and called Bird 'the latest far-left liberal trying to out-extreme her opponents.' 'Whether it's Bird, Caraveo, or Rutinel crawling out of the wreckage, voters in Colorado will reject them just like they reject the Democrats' extreme and out of touch agenda,' NRCC spokesperson Zach Bannon said in a statement. Since he was elected, Evans, who also served in the Colorado Legislature, has affirmed his support for Trump's plans to carry out mass deportations of tens of millions of undocumented immigrants, and remained silent on the administration's effort to end birthright citizenship. Last month, Evans voted for House Republicans' sweeping budget resolution to cut taxes and slash social spending, and he has since falsely claimed that the plan would not force drastic cuts to Medicaid, as nonpartisan congressional budget analysts conclude that it would. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shannon Bird enters growing race for Colorado's 8th Congressional District
DENVER (KDVR) — Colorado is home to one of the most competitive congressional races in the nation, and the state's 8th Congressional District could end up being a close race again in 2026 following two very tight races in 2022 and 2024. Tuesday, State Representative and Joint Budget Committee Vice Chair Shannon Bird announced she is joining the Democratic field in the race for the seat. Six Denver-Boulder metro governments sue Colorado, Polis for home rule control The primaries for this race are still more than a year away. Yet millions of dollars are already being poured into it and the field is already getting a little crowded. 'I do think that Bird getting in this race, she is more moderate and would be tough in a general election,' said Fox31 Political Analyst and Republican Strategist Michael C.L. Fields. 'Shannon Bird is a local hero for her work on the JBC (Joint Budget Commission). The unbelievable job they did out of pulling a budget out of a virtually, a very small amount of money, relatively,' said FOX31 Political Analyst and Democratic strategist Andy Boian. When Bird announced her bid for Colorado's 8th Congressional District on Tuesday, she joined two Democrats she served with in Colorado's House of Representatives, former Congresswoman Yadira Caraveo and state Representative Manny Rutinel. Rutinel raised more than $1 million in the first quarter of this year before Caraveo announced her intention of re-running for the seat she lost by just over 2000 votes in November. Boian believes Caraveo can win again, like she did in 2022. 'Shannon obviously has all the intellect you need and want in anybody. I think she's a very impressive. But I think Yadira Caraveo did an extremely impressive job, and I think with regard to Manny, I'm happy that he is in the race. I know he's got some steady support. Personally, I would say he is not ready for a congressional seat,' Boian said. Whoever wins on the Democratic side could go on to face incumbent and former state Rep. Congressman Gabe Evans. People living in Evans' district have raised concerns about Evans supporting efforts in Congress to reduce spending for Medicaid that Evans says are efforts to rid the system of waste, fraud and abuse. Could his support for federal policies cost him and usher in primary challenges? Fields believes Evans is the party's candidate, for now. 'I think the whole Republican machine is going to be behind Gabe Evans to win again. So, I don't anticipate a serious primary at all. I think that is very much a contrast to the Democrats, where you have probably five or six credible candidates with name ID, at least at the Capitol with name ID, and they are able to raise some money. I don't think you'll see anything near that on the Republican side,' said Fields. Christian overnight camp says it will be shut down under Colorado's gender identity rules Both analysts agreed, the race will be hotly contested and expensive. 'This is going to be a lot of money spent in this race. There is a lot going on, there are a lot of major issues with those folks in Weld County, down to Arapahoe County. Very different demographics, very different incomes, very different styles, very different opportunities in CD8. So there are a lot of diverse folks to represent. So I think you are going to see a wide, diverse array of candidates in the race,' Boian said. 'It's going to be a very competitive primary but very expensive. I think that's the problem Democrats have right now is: if there's an expensive primary, whoever wins and comes out of it is going to be bloodied up in that campaign but also, they are not going to have the same amount of funds that Evans has as he is just raising, if he is not challenged by somebody who gives him a run for his money in the primaries,' said Fields. The primary election for this seat won't happen until next June, but the race could become even more crowded before then. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas legislature set to pass state $6 billion-plus state budget for 2025-2026
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The legislature is in a position to pass the Arkansas budget as one of its final acts of the 95th General Assembly. The identical House Bill 2003 and to amend the revenue stabilization law—the state budget—were passed on Tuesday by the Joint Budget Committee. The bills call for a $6.49 billion budget, raising spending by 2.89% for the 2026 fiscal year beginning July 1. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivers budget presentation to lawmakers The identical bills include a clause that whichever one passes its respective chamber last becomes the law. The bills were submitted on Thursday, the mandatory three days before the legislature, which was in recess on Friday, had to act upon them. Historically, the state budget has been one of the last things passed by the chambers during a session. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs Jefferson County budget correction bill, goes into immediate effect The budget mirrors what Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called for during her State of the State address on Jan. 20, with its additional $182.5 million going primarily to the Department of Corrections and the Educational Freedom Accounts program. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arkansas legislative panel removes additional prison funding bill from consideration
Sen. Jimmy Hickey (left), R-Texarkana, votes present on House Bill 1427, cosponsored by Sen. Missy Irvin (center), R-Mountain View, on the Arkansas Senate floor on February 18, 2025. At right is Sen. Ricky Hill, R-Cabot. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) A legislative budget committee on Monday pulled down a bill that would have added $250 million to a fund dedicated to prison construction in Arkansas. The decision comes less than a week after state lawmakers said a separate $750 million appropriation bill to support construction of a 3,000-bed prison in Franklin County appears dead after five failed votes in the Senate. Disputes over the two bills are the latest in a monthslong battle to fund and build a new state penitentiary in the rural western Arkansas county. Senate Bill 633 would authorize the addition of $250 million from general revenue to a correctional facilities fund that the Legislature placed $330 million into in 2023. State lawmakers also set aside $75 million in 2022 for expanding the state's prison capacity, and that money has already been allocated to the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Republican lawmakers questioned the intent of SB 633 during the Joint Budget Committee's meeting Monday. Rep. Jim Wooten, R-Beebe, asked if the bill was 'a backdoor way' to fund the new penitentiary. Meanwhile, Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana, sought assurances that state officials wouldn't try to pull money from a separate $350 million miscellaneous appropriation to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration to support prison construction. 'I have no problem moving money into this account, but I think that we need to have a path of where we think we're going…but what I want to make sure is that it's not our intention that we're going to use a large part of that miscellaneous appropriation that we give through DF&A to fund this prison,' Hickey said. Arkansas lawmakers consider other funding methods as they abandon sixth prison appropriation vote Specifically, Hickey asked if the $75 million that's already been allocated to the corrections department would be used to assess a more detailed cost estimate of the whole project as requested by some state lawmakers. Magnolia Republican and Joint Budget Committee Chairman Rep. Lane Jean said the goal is to spend the $75 million first. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has called for expanding bed capacity at state prisons to alleviate overcrowding in county jails. A lack of space at Arkansas prisons has led to some state inmates being housed in local jails. Controversy arose last October when Sanders announced the state purchased 815 acres near Charleston for nearly $3 million as a site to construct a new prison. Local residents and state officials decried the lack of transparency in the decision and have pushed back against the project for months. The Arkansas Board of Corrections has moved forward with the project by hiring a construction management company and seeking proposals from architectural firms and contractors. Searcy Republican and JBC Vice Chair Sen. Jonathan Dismang recommended removing SB 633 from consideration Monday, noting that the corrections department isn't likely to use all $75 million before next year's fiscal session in April when lawmakers could again explore options for funding prison expansion. If officials do need additional funding before then, they have the ability to request lawmakers' approval for a temporary appropriation increase, Dismang said. 'There's no reason to have a continued debate this morning with where we are in the session,' he said. The Arkansas Legislature is scheduled to finish the bulk of its work by Wednesday, before recessing for a few weeks and officially adjourning the legislative session on May 5. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
House passes state budget: Here's what is, is not included
DENVER (KDVR) — In a year when things are fiscally tight, Colorado lawmakers have passed the state budget, overcoming a projected shortfall of more than a billion dollars. Lawmakers had to cut funding for a lot of state programs to get the budget while both sides are happy the state didn't go into the red, they say Colorado is not out of the woods just yet. Governor signs bill requiring training for semiautomatic guns, banning rapid-fire conversion devices 'I think they did a great job with the information they had at the time. But this is the first year in what I believe will be an ongoing process. So there will, in the future, have to be harder and tougher cuts,' said House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are commending members of the state's Joint Budget Committee for balancing the state's budget after facing a billion-dollar gap. 'We had a particularly challenging year because we came into the year looking at next year's budget needing to cut about $1.2 billion. So as we began our work, the task ahead of us was to figure out how do we protect what Coloradans care most about while cutting what we need to cut to make sure this year, as in, every year, we pass a balanced budget,' said Joint Budget Committee Vice Chair Representative Shannon Bird. The state budget totals about $44 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Medicaid was a big concern heading into negotiations but the budget did ultimately see a 1.6% increase in Medicaid provider funding. Lawmakers were able to make the budget work by issuing dozens of cuts for programs funded by the state. 'I think some cuts were easier to make than others. There were programs that weren't meeting their intended purpose, programs that were undersubscribed, programs where the state's priorities had shifted, perhaps dollars allocated in certain areas where they were no longer of the highest and greatest use so it made it easier to move that money in a different direction and to cut those old programs. Other programs were far harder to cut,' said Bird. Proposed bill preventing officers from asking drivers why they were pulled over dies in committee 'Some of our hospitals were very hopeful to see Medicaid funding for a community health worker service that they had been anticipating bringing on board and it's just not something that the state has capacity to fund right now,' Bird continued. 'Those are the cuts that are hard. I expect because of the state's challenges that don't look to be changing any time soon that these cuts get increasingly difficult in the next fiscal year.' Things like millions of grant dollars to help law enforcement monitor gray and black market marijuana, repealing the computer science education grant program and eliminating a destroyed property tax reimbursement program for people whose homes were ruined by natural disasters were axed. Transportation cuts saw the biggest hit with members cutting about $64 million slated for transportation and more than $70 million that was put aside for transportation grants. 'More of the transportation cuts happened to multi-modal transportation initiatives. Different grants to go to local governments to help them build out bike lines and jogging paths and such. Really important quality of life changes to our transportation system. The cuts that we made will not impact investments in roads and bridges. Those are things that would be the very last cuts to be made,' Bird said. Members of both parties acknowledge the state will need to make even more cuts in the future. Petition to repeal flavored tobacco ban could be on Denver ballot 'The state has grown and I understand that the budget needs to grow. I think there are definitely places in the budget though that we can look at and make some cuts like the full-time employees that are unfilled, those positions. I think there are some opportunities for every department and we saw a lot of departments step up with efficiencies, consolidations and repeals. I think there is just going to be a lot more of that coming,' said Pugliese. Programs like Medicaid are still counting on federal appropriations. 'The way Medicaid is typically funded is as a partnership between the state and the federal government. Without those federal dollars coming back to Colorado, we will not be able to sustain Medicaid funding the way citizens of Colorado expect,' said Bird. 'The budget that we passed today assumes that the federal government will maintain its role as a partner as they have in past years in funding Medicaid. Although, if something were to change, that probably would require the legislature to reconvene and make a new decision about how we move forward.' Republicans at the capitol are warning the majority, that the state may be in danger when it comes to those dollars coming from Washington. Aurora: Twice as many encampments removed in first 3 months of 2025 than last year 'I think that there are some bills coming forward that definitely cause me some concern about continuing to go after the federal administration while at the same time saying we are afraid of losing federal funding. So, I think we need to have those conversations. You can't continuously poke the federal administration and think we will continue to get federal funds,' Pugliese said. Financing for public schools in the state will be handled in a separate bill. The budget does increase general dollars for education by $150 million. The Senate passed the budget first but will need to approve some amendments made in the House before the long bill and some accompanying measures go to the governor's desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
