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Joint Budget Committee

Thursday, March 26, 2026·7h 55m·▶ Watch / Listen

The sole contested vote was a 4-2 approval of the IT capital project list through project 9, with Rep. Taggart and Sen. Kirkmeyer opposing inclusion of the Human Resource Information System.

Key Actions

·Prop EE Tobacco Funds – $10M Redirect to UPKPassed

+ 14 more actions

Controversies

IT Capital – Human Resource Information System (Project 6)

Rep. Taggart argued the HRIS did not appear in any priority requests in figure setting or briefing documents and that tackling two large HR systems simultaneously was imprudent, suggesting it could pause for a year. Sen. Kirkmeyer stated nobody could tell her what the system was and why it was needed, and suggested it was an issue the union wanted for easier access to employee data. Vice Chair Bridges countered that fragmented HR systems statewide was a pretty big problem and that this was a legitimate IT capital request, and moved to draw the line at project 9, which passed 4-2 over Taggart and Kirkmeyer's objections.

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“CRAIG HARPER GBC STAFF I think the only question that I have, and it was probably clear to the others, but the $10 million one time property E money figure out another way to think about next year. We had also been talking about some other methods of savings and I would put forward a suggestion to the committee to go to draft on a bill that would reduce funding for best by about 50 million and somewhat equal amount to the charter school facilities distance reduction. Making a reduction, maybe it's 20 million,”

Sen. Kirkmeyer — Sen. Kirkmeyer reacting to Vice Chair Bridges' proposal to cut approximately $50 million from BEST cash grants and $20 million from charter school facilities assistance as part of budget balancing.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Draw the line at project 9 on the IT capital project listPassed
No (2)Rep. Taggart, Sen. Kirkmeyer
Redirect $10 million Prop EE tobacco funds to Preschool Programs Cash Fund; reduce general fund to UPK by $10 million; send bill to draftPassed
Go to draft on bill reducing BEST fund approximately $50 million and charter school facilities approximately $20 millionPassed
Draw the line after the Clark Building and fund controlled maintenance through score 4Passed
Return $50 million previously dedicated to K-12 from general fund; to be made up from State Education FundPassed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
Modify existing standalone bill to include $2.2 million redirect from UPTF to HDGF for emergency housing vouchers; remainder to general fundPassed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
Recognize $30 million from reclassification in Senate Bill 26-042 in the long bill for purposes of balancingPassed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
Assume Fort Logan Youth Psych Unit will not open until FY27-28; resulting in $3.3 million general fund savingsPassed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
Sweep decarbonization cash fund (additional $9.5 million beyond previously approved $6.1 million) and repeal the fund at end of FY26-27; provide $1.2 million annual general fund appropriation through FY33-34Passed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
Sweep $14 million from Disability Support Fund into general fund in FY25-26, with $1 million one-time appropriation to Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, into Special Purpose Authority billPassed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
Approve CDE Comeback 5 RFI roll forward funding and move to draft legislation providing CDE statutory authority to require online school enrollment data submissionsPassed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
Sweep approximately $11.4 million from ARPA refinance discretionary account to general fundPassed
Absent (1)Sen. Kirkmeyer (excused)
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TranscriptPreview
The Joint Budget Committee will come to order. We're just going to work through some more things in a disorderly way. So I think first there is a suggestion from Senator Kirkmeyer or Vice Chair Bridges on some possible prop ee tobacco funds. Thank you, madam chair. We have about 10 million from general fund going into UPK. There are enough funds in the cash fund to support that rather than those dollars coming from general fund. Given the state of our budget, it seems prudent that we move those dollars from the cash fund instead of taking $10 million from the general fund. So I don't know if we need someone in here to do that. I don't know if that requires a bill as part of the transfer bill or how that works. Ms. Shen, there we go. Thank you, madam chair. Kelly Shin, JVC staff Mr. Vicer, could you clarify what exact cash fund you're looking for and if you are anticipating more or less money, I guess which cash fund? Tobacco cessation money. The Tobacco Education Program cessation. Okay. You. Are you looking to just take from the balance of that or. Yes. We don't know…
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