Senate Majority Caucus
In a majority caucus briefing held upon adjournment, JBC members walked colleagues through the FY2026-27 budget package — a $17.3 billion general fund built on painful cuts to Medicaid, Cover All Coloradans, foster and kinship care and more — while rank-and-file senators lined up floor amendments the budget committee is asking them to vote down. Chair Jeff Bridges framed the year bluntly: this was 'harm reduction mode,' not benefit expansion.
Key Actions
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Notable Quotes
“as Hillary with the Cross Disability Coalition put it, we are not in a benefit expansion mode. We are in a harm reduction mode. How can we make these cuts while causing the least amount of harm to the people of Colorado?”
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Sign in to subscribeDiscuss the budget package and long bill for fiscal year 2627. Thank you to the members of the public, the press and the administration who are joining us here in the room and looks like online as well. We have our Joint Budget Committee members in front of us who are going to start our discussion. Who would like to begin? Senator bridges. Thank you, Mr. Chair. First and most importantly, I say this every time, but it really can't be said enough. We have some of the best staff that works anywhere in the country here supporting this JVC effort. Yes, that does deserve. And this year in particular, we handed them a rather unfair task of preparing the long bill in the days before Easter weekend. And they made a heroic effort. And we appreciate that work so much. We're glad that they're all still here. And we just please say, you know, do you say, you know, hug a JVC member? I think don't hug them because. But really, these are the folks that deserve the praise and thanks. It is incredible what they have done in service of this budget. So thank you very much to…
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