The Senate Majority Caucus reviewed approximately 30 supplemental budget bills and related items presented by JBC member Senator Bridges, with the most contentious debate centered on a Department of Corrections prison caseload funding increase that passed the JBC 5-1 — with Senator Mabrey voting no — drawing pushback from caucus members who demanded a hard deadline for DOC reform progress before figure setting. Floor outcomes for most items remained unclear, though the School Finance Mid-Year Adjustment was placed on the consent calendar and the Department of State supplemental was noted by Senator Bridges as having gone to the consent calendar, with the caveat that it remained to be seen if that would stick. Notably, Senator Bridges indicated the Senate would have no action to take on the CDPHE supplemental following a House amendment to the WIC line. Additionally, Senator Bridges confirmed there is no supplemental bill for the legislative branch.
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Senator Gonzalez pressed Senator Bridges for a specific deadline for DOC reform progress before figure setting, stating the administration has 'consistently, as we have raised challenges and concerns around the structural lack of a plan... been told time and again that it is forthcoming,' and demanding 'a clear deadline so that we all know and that the first floor also knows very clearly.' Senator Weissman explicitly encouraged an initial JBC no vote on the DOC ask at figure setting, stating 'committee only has so many opportunities for pressure. Let me encourage you to use them.' Senator Bridges responded 'Heard. Appreciate it.' but did not commit to that posture.
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“The reason I voted for it is that what I heard from the administration was two things. One, if we did not increase that, we would end up actually paying far more than what this prison caseload dollar amount is here because there would be folks in jails. So it would increase our jail backlog, which is more expensive than folks in doc beds. And part of their plan was to put 100 inmates into a gym on sled beds which didn't sound safe to me.”
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Sign in to subscribeCome to order. We are here to discuss the supplemental bill package coming before the Senate this week. And we are joined by our Joint Budget Committee representatives, Senator Bridges and Amabile, who would like to kick us off. Senator bridges, thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you colleagues. I think what we have before you here today, as I've described before, there are a lot of, lot of hard decisions that we had to make. I'm just going to go in and just go ahead and just jump right in to the bills. The way that the structure works here in supplementals is a little different from the long bill. Each department has its own bill in the supplemental process. So it's not one large bill like the budget bill. It is many different smaller bills. Starting on page 18 of your packet with the Department of Ag House Bill 1150, there is a one time change from a cash fund to increase some funding for to address the pine beetle infestation. One thing I failed to mention during appropriations that I wish I had is the role the insectary may play in this because it turns out there are…
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