Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Today will be day five of the Colorado Legislature's special session.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
As work continued throughout the weekend, it.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
Sounds like four bills are now headed to the Governor's
desk after receiving final approval yesterday. However, they're still debating
how to address the nearly eight hundred million dollar budget shortfall.
And joining us on the KOA Comments Spirit of Health Hotline,
chief legislative reporter for Colorado Politics, It's Maryanne Goodlin. Marian,
thanks for coming on with us again. I'm just curious
off the top. I'm glad they're getting stuff done they can,
(00:27):
but are they still just kind of waiting and waiting
and delaying how to deal with the shortfall?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Not really. One of the bills that went to the
governor on Sunday is one that has to do with
some tweaks to his authority. Excuse me on making budget cuts.
The eight hundred million dollars shortfall. We've been told we'll
be handled in three different ways. They're going to tap
(00:54):
the state's Rady Day Fund, which is known as the
General Reserve for about a third of it. A third
of it is going to be handled through some of
the bills that are working its way through the legislature.
They haven't started heading off to the governor just yet,
but probably will today and tomorrow. And that's primarily dealing
with corporate tax changes. And then the third, the last third,
(01:17):
is the part that the governor gets to decide, which
is actual making cuts and spending in state government. And
the governor intends to meet with the Joint Budget Committee
on Thursday to present his plan on how he intends
to do that. And this is this is going to
this stuff is going to happen really fast. He presents
(01:37):
his plan on Thursday, we expect those budget cuts to
take effect the following Monday, September, first Labor Day.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Marian, I want to go back to a couple of
the bills that were passed over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
One of them is kind of confusing.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
It deals with the amendment concerning foreign tax havens. It
also sounds like there was a little bit of back
and forth of Republicans saying it's unconstitutional because taber requires
that voters should design on this issue. Where do we
stand on this? And do you think the governor will
respond or sign this bill?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Yes, I do think he will sign it. This is
one of the things that came out of the changes
in tax policy at the federal government level. And the
way this works is that Colorado is one of four
states that pretty much aligns how we file income taxes
the same way the federal government requires it. It's known
(02:29):
as rolling conformity. And whenever there's a change in tax
policy at the federal level in certain areas, those same
changes automatically apply to Colorado because of the way our
tax laws are written. So yeah, I do expect the
governor's sign this bill. This is going to put them
in a position of starting to take in some tax
revenue that will make up for what the state lost
(02:53):
and the stay lost about eight hundred million dollars or
actually about one point two billion dollars in income tax revenue.
Democrats say it's as a result of HR one, the
One Big Uerful Ability President signed July fourth. Republicans, on
the other hand, say it's because the state has been
on a spending spree for years and it's just a
(03:16):
matter of overspending and that and that the state needs
to start tightening its spell a little bit. So yeah,
the governor will find I think the governor will find
that bill. I don't think there's any question about.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
That, Maryan objectively though it is it a little of
both or is it one or the other.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
It's a little both. I think the Democrats have a point. Yes,
the state, the state's tax revenues went down by one
point two billion dollars almost immediately, but the state has
been the state budget has been increasing, uh, you know,
at over a billion dollars a year over the last decades.
So so yeah, I think I think it's a little
(03:54):
from column A, a little from columb what.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Have been some of the largest fireworks that we've seen
in the special session so far. From over the weekend,
it seems like there was a little bit, do you
want to call it a filibuster that was taking place
of just trying to push back from Republicans.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Absolutely, and these filibusters are going on in the House
and the Senate. The Senate usually, you know, they tend
to be the adults in the room, and they tend
not to engage in a lot of these delayed tactics,
but these tax issues are so important to them and
they and they strongly believe that they do violate Tabor
(04:29):
and there's going to be lawsuits about this. I don't
think there's any question about that. Michael Fields from a
Colorado has already said that he plans to challenge these
tax changes. So so, and in the House, they spent
a lot of time filibustering bills and over the weekend
just as a matter of trying to slow things down.
(04:49):
The Democrats in the House responded by making rules changes
that basically move things along very actually very quickly. So
right now the actual really is over in the Senate,
as they're doing with these tax bills. The other fireworks
over the weekend had to do with this interesting issue
over the state's woolf reintroduction program. There is a bill
(05:10):
to take some money out of that program and put
it toward health insurance premiums. These are subsidies. This would
be a form of a subsidy that replaces one that
the federal government is allowing to lapse at the end
of this year. And this has been the fight over
this has been whether or not to allow the Colborial
(05:32):
Parks and Wildlife to continue paying for the expenses of
bringing wolves in from British Columbia. The intent was to
put this program on hold for this current fiscal year.
That's really not going to happen because the money that
they're taking out still allows parks and wildlife to go
find a replacement for it. And as one senator said,
(05:55):
the governor's going to the governor or his buddies are
going to get out their checkbooks and just cover cover
that cut and funding.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
With everything that's going on, Marian, are we and maybe
you're not. Obviously I'm not putting the US, but are
we not really watching the AI regulation bill as closely
as we normally would or should?
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Oh? I think that's well, I think that's been watched
pretty pretty closely. That bill has been and the main
AI bill has been on hold now for the last
four days while the Senate sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Robert
Rodriguez negotiated with all sides on this. You really have
a coalition of labor and consumer groups on one side
(06:37):
and big tech and the tech industry on the other.
And this whole thing is all about trying to delay
the law that was passed in twenty twenty four. That
law goes into effect on February first of twenty twenty six.
But we were hearing a lot of concerns that it's
going to be very costly for not only for businesses,
(06:58):
but it's also going to be very costly for government,
both state and local government, school districts, colleges. It's going
to cost them a lot to implement this. The Still,
so the intent, at least the desire of the Governor's
office was to at least get a delay on the implementation,
and they wanted to see a delay until later in
twenty twenty six. The log jam over this bill broke
(07:20):
on Sunday and the Senate took up some changes. They
put in a delay that will delay the implementation of
the law until May and that will give everybody about
an extra three months to negotiate some other changes to
this law. And so that and then there's another competing
bill that's over in the House and we're waiting to
(07:42):
see how far that one actually goes. All that has
in it is a delay on the law to October first,
and so we'll see if if there's some sort of
meeting of the mind somewhere in the middle. But that
with the AI bills now on the move, it means
that the special session could be over with as early
as tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was going to be my next question.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
We're past that three day mark, and we were wondering
if it was going to be that four to six.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
You think it could be wrapping up come tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
That would be the earliest if they want to get
these AI bills all the way to the governor's desk.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
All right, Uh, Marian, we appreciate your coverage as always,
fantastic chief legislative reporter for Colorado Politics.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It's Marian Goodlund.
Today will be day five of the Colorado Legislature's special session.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
As work continued throughout the weekend, it.
Speaker 3 (00:05):
Sounds like four bills are now headed to the Governor's
desk after receiving final approval yesterday. However, they're still debating
how to address the nearly eight hundred million dollar budget shortfall.
And joining us on the KOA Comments Spirit of Health Hotline,
chief legislative reporter for Colorado Politics, It's Maryanne Goodlin. Marian,
thanks for coming on with us again. I'm just curious
off the top. I'm glad they're getting stuff done they can,
(00:27):
but are they still just kind of waiting and waiting
and delaying how to deal with the shortfall?
Speaker 4 (00:32):
Not really. One of the bills that went to the
governor on Sunday is one that has to do with
some tweaks to his authority. Excuse me on making budget cuts.
The eight hundred million dollars shortfall. We've been told we'll
be handled in three different ways. They're going to tap
(00:54):
the state's Rady Day Fund, which is known as the
General Reserve for about a third of it. A third
of it is going to be handled through some of
the bills that are working its way through the legislature.
They haven't started heading off to the governor just yet,
but probably will today and tomorrow. And that's primarily dealing
with corporate tax changes. And then the third, the last third,
(01:17):
is the part that the governor gets to decide, which
is actual making cuts and spending in state government. And
the governor intends to meet with the Joint Budget Committee
on Thursday to present his plan on how he intends
to do that. And this is this is going to
this stuff is going to happen really fast. He presents
(01:37):
his plan on Thursday, we expect those budget cuts to
take effect the following Monday, September, first Labor Day.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Marian, I want to go back to a couple of
the bills that were passed over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
One of them is kind of confusing.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
It deals with the amendment concerning foreign tax havens. It
also sounds like there was a little bit of back
and forth of Republicans saying it's unconstitutional because taber requires
that voters should design on this issue. Where do we
stand on this? And do you think the governor will
respond or sign this bill?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Yes, I do think he will sign it. This is
one of the things that came out of the changes
in tax policy at the federal government level. And the
way this works is that Colorado is one of four
states that pretty much aligns how we file income taxes
the same way the federal government requires it. It's known
(02:29):
as rolling conformity. And whenever there's a change in tax
policy at the federal level in certain areas, those same
changes automatically apply to Colorado because of the way our
tax laws are written. So yeah, I do expect the
governor's sign this bill. This is going to put them
in a position of starting to take in some tax
revenue that will make up for what the state lost
(02:53):
and the stay lost about eight hundred million dollars or
actually about one point two billion dollars in income tax revenue.
Democrats say it's as a result of HR one, the
One Big Uerful Ability President signed July fourth. Republicans, on
the other hand, say it's because the state has been
on a spending spree for years and it's just a
(03:16):
matter of overspending and that and that the state needs
to start tightening its spell a little bit. So yeah,
the governor will find I think the governor will find
that bill. I don't think there's any question about.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
That, Maryan objectively though it is it a little of
both or is it one or the other.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
It's a little both. I think the Democrats have a point. Yes,
the state, the state's tax revenues went down by one
point two billion dollars almost immediately, but the state has
been the state budget has been increasing, uh, you know,
at over a billion dollars a year over the last decades.
So so yeah, I think I think it's a little
(03:54):
from column A, a little from columb what.
Speaker 1 (03:56):
Have been some of the largest fireworks that we've seen
in the special session so far. From over the weekend,
it seems like there was a little bit, do you
want to call it a filibuster that was taking place
of just trying to push back from Republicans.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
Absolutely, and these filibusters are going on in the House
and the Senate. The Senate usually, you know, they tend
to be the adults in the room, and they tend
not to engage in a lot of these delayed tactics,
but these tax issues are so important to them and
they and they strongly believe that they do violate Tabor
(04:29):
and there's going to be lawsuits about this. I don't
think there's any question about that. Michael Fields from a
Colorado has already said that he plans to challenge these
tax changes. So so, and in the House, they spent
a lot of time filibustering bills and over the weekend
just as a matter of trying to slow things down.
(04:49):
The Democrats in the House responded by making rules changes
that basically move things along very actually very quickly. So
right now the actual really is over in the Senate,
as they're doing with these tax bills. The other fireworks
over the weekend had to do with this interesting issue
over the state's woolf reintroduction program. There is a bill
(05:10):
to take some money out of that program and put
it toward health insurance premiums. These are subsidies. This would
be a form of a subsidy that replaces one that
the federal government is allowing to lapse at the end
of this year. And this has been the fight over
this has been whether or not to allow the Colborial
(05:32):
Parks and Wildlife to continue paying for the expenses of
bringing wolves in from British Columbia. The intent was to
put this program on hold for this current fiscal year.
That's really not going to happen because the money that
they're taking out still allows parks and wildlife to go
find a replacement for it. And as one senator said,
(05:55):
the governor's going to the governor or his buddies are
going to get out their checkbooks and just cover cover
that cut and funding.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
With everything that's going on, Marian, are we and maybe
you're not. Obviously I'm not putting the US, but are
we not really watching the AI regulation bill as closely
as we normally would or should?
Speaker 4 (06:14):
Oh? I think that's well, I think that's been watched
pretty pretty closely. That bill has been and the main
AI bill has been on hold now for the last
four days while the Senate sponsor, Senate Majority Leader Robert
Rodriguez negotiated with all sides on this. You really have
a coalition of labor and consumer groups on one side
(06:37):
and big tech and the tech industry on the other.
And this whole thing is all about trying to delay
the law that was passed in twenty twenty four. That
law goes into effect on February first of twenty twenty six.
But we were hearing a lot of concerns that it's
going to be very costly for not only for businesses,
(06:58):
but it's also going to be very costly for government,
both state and local government, school districts, colleges. It's going
to cost them a lot to implement this. The Still,
so the intent, at least the desire of the Governor's
office was to at least get a delay on the implementation,
and they wanted to see a delay until later in
twenty twenty six. The log jam over this bill broke
(07:20):
on Sunday and the Senate took up some changes. They
put in a delay that will delay the implementation of
the law until May and that will give everybody about
an extra three months to negotiate some other changes to
this law. And so that and then there's another competing
bill that's over in the House and we're waiting to
(07:42):
see how far that one actually goes. All that has
in it is a delay on the law to October first,
and so we'll see if if there's some sort of
meeting of the mind somewhere in the middle. But that
with the AI bills now on the move, it means
that the special session could be over with as early
as tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
That was going to be my next question.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
We're past that three day mark, and we were wondering
if it was going to be that four to six.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
You think it could be wrapping up come tomorrow.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
That would be the earliest if they want to get
these AI bills all the way to the governor's desk.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
All right, Uh, Marian, we appreciate your coverage as always,
fantastic chief legislative reporter for Colorado Politics.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
It's Marian Goodlund.
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