Colorado special legislative session at State Capitol grows heated on day two
Tensions were high at the Colorado State Capitol Friday, where lawmakers were in the second day of a special legislative session.
Gov Jared Polis called the legislature back to work to address a $750 million budget shortfall after passage of President Trump's "big, beautiful bill."
It cut taxes, which means less revenue for Colorado. Colorado is one of four states that links its tax code to the federal one.
Lawmakers started with 33 bills on the first day of special session and have gone down to 13. Four of them passed out of the Senate on day two and moved to the House, where Republicans and Democrats can't agree on why the budget is out of balance, let alone how to bring it into balance.
"We are here today because the Republicans in Congress blew a billion-dollar hole in our state budget," said Democratic stat Rep. Emily Sirota of Denver.
"Here we go again, same old Democrat story. It's somebody else's fault," said Republican state Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs.
Colorado Democrats -- who are in control of both congressional chambers -- are targeting several business tax breaks.
Republican state Rep. Rick Taggert of Grand Junction said many business owners struggle to keep their doors open and rely on the tax breaks.
"For those of us who have been entrepreneurs in our lives, we sweat blood and tears to get those businesses off the ground," Taggert said.
Democratic state Rep. Yara Zokaie said most of the breaks go to the wealthiest business owners.
"This is not about punishing success. This is about basic fairness," Zokaie said.
Fairness aside, Republicans say the bills are unconstitutional. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights requires voters to approve tax changes that increase revenue. Democrats point to a court decision that allows increases of one percent of the budget. The state budget is about $45 billion this year, so they say changes below $450 million are legal. Their tax changes are expected to generate $300 million to $400 million in all.
While the House debated budget bills, the Senate passed bills to help fund food stamps and Planned Parenthood after cuts at the federal level. It also passed a bill that prevents taxpayer dollars from being used to reintroduce more gray wolves in Colorado next year.
The state planned to spend $264,000 to do so, on top of the $3.5 million it's already spent on the program.
"That money that was gonna originally be spent on getting those new wolves is instead going to go to something more immediately needed for Coloradans, which is lowering our health insurance costs," said Democratic state Rep. Dylan Roberts, the bill sponsor out of Routt County.
Roberts said he and Republican state Sen. Marc Catlin of Montrose made a deal with Gov. Polis, who planned to veto the bill. Instead of pausing the wolf reintroduction program, the new wolves will be funded with fees or donations from the governor's office or Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
"We decided that moving the ball forward a little bit was better than no movement at all," Roberts said.
But compromise eluded sponsors of two bills to repeal and replace a controversial artificial intelligence law that takes effect in February.
"It's complex, and the impacts are huge on our state and our economy," said Democratic state Rep. William Lindstedt of Broomfield, who is the lead sponsor of one of the bills.
Lindstedt decided to amend his bill and simply delay implementation of the current law, "so that we have time to work on it next year in good faith to find a path that is best for Colorado," he said.
The other AI bill is stalled in the Senate. Fiscal analysts say it would cost the state almost $5 million a year in compliance. The sponsor, Democratic state Sen. Robert Rodriguez of Denver, is under heavy pressure to amend his bill as Lindstedt did. and simply delay implementation of the current law.
Lawmakers are expected to work through the weekend.