GovRitterBanner

Press Release- May 02, 2007

OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 2007

Contact:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370

GOV. RITTER SIGNS FISCAL 2007-08 BUDGET BILL

Joined by the legislature's Joint Budget Committee and other lawmakers, Gov. Bill Ritter today signed the $17.8 billion fiscal year 2007-08 budget bill into law, highlighting key elements as smart investments that will result in long-term savings.

"A budget is a moral document," Gov. Ritter said. "It's a statement that reflects our values when it comes to investing taxpayer dollars. And what I heard from the people of Colorado is they want fiscal responsibility and fiscal conservatism. They want us to spend smarter and make wiser investments in the future. This budget contains important investments that will improve the lives of Coloradans and result in new efficiencies and long-term savings."

Gov. Ritter cited several specific areas of the Long Bill (SB 239) that best reflect those priorities:

  • An anti-recidivism package aimed at reducing the high rate of repeat offenders to Colorado state prisons. "This package puts us on a new path when it comes to public safety, and it's probably the best example in the 07-08 budget of how we can save millions of dollars over time by making smart investments today," Gov. Ritter said.

  • Funding for higher education. "We have much ground to make up when it comes to higher education, but we can't do it on the backs of young people in the form of sky-high tuition increases," the governor said. "This budget caps tuition increases for low- and middle-income Coloradans at no more than 5 percent. It also provides an 8.5 percent, or $7.4 million, increase in financial aid."

  • Investments in health care, human services and capital construction. The budget will allow several important capital construction projects to move forward, including a new Colorado State Veterans Center at Homelake, a new High Security Forensics Unit at the state hospital in Pueblo, and replacing the backbone of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Colorado Crime Information System.
"The people of Colorado elected us to solve problems," Gov. Ritter said. "This is a bipartisan, bicameral budget that attempts to do just that: solve problems and spend taxpayer dollars wisely while living within our means."

Additional Budget Highlights:

Governor's Recidivism Reduction and Offender Diversion Package
  • An increase of $0.2 million ($0.1 million General Fund) was provided for mental health diversion programs and for therapeutic community (substance abuse treatment) programs, $1.5 million General Fund for 126 community corrections transition beds, including 60 for mentally ill clients, in the Department of Public Safety.

  • An increase of $1.3 million ($0.7 million General Fund) was provided to expand the Short-term Residential Remediation and Treatment (STIRRT) program for adults with substance abuse problems and an increase of $1.9 million General Fund was provided to restore funding for the S.B. 91-94 (alternatives to detention) youth corrections programs in the Department of Human Services.

  • Additionally, $3.2 million in immediate General Fund savings to the Department of Corrections was achieved for FY 2007-08 associated with the diversion initiatives and $200,000 was added to the Division of Criminal Justice to research the out-year benefits resulting from the recidivism package.
Higher Education
  • The Long Bill contains increases of $48.9 million General Fund for the Higher Education Governing Boards and $7.4 million (8.5 percent) for financial aid programs, including $6.9 million for need-based programs. The bill also caps tuition increases for low and middle-income Coloradans so they will see no more than a 5.0 percent tuition increase.
K-12 Education
  • The Long Bill contains a $313.0 million increase in state and local funding for K-12, funding a 1.9 percent increase in pupils (for a total of 767,416 funded pupils) and a 4.6 percent increase in the statewide base per student (at $5,087.61 per student). Of the total dollar increase, $241.7 million is from the state's share (including $57.1 million from the State Education Fund) and $71.3 million is from the local share.
Health Care
  • The Long Bill contains funding to serve over 383,000 Medicaid clients funded in the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. The Long Bill also contains a total increase of $21.1 million ($10.4 million General Fund) for provider rate increases and increases of $15.0 million to help with reimbursements to providers who serve the uninsured and underinsured, pursuant to S.B. 06-44.

  • The Long Bill also contains increases of $8.3 million cash funds exempt and federal funds for a 7.3 percent increase in the caseload for children and a 17.8 percent increase in the caseload of pregnant women served under the Children's Basic Health Plan.
Human Services
  • Mental Health.The Long Bill contains an increase of $1.4 million General Fund to provide community mental health services to approximately 446 children and adults with mental illness. The Long Bill also adds $500,000 General Fund for a 1.5 percent cost-of-living increase for mental health providers.  The budget contains $500,000 General Fund for nurse retention at the Mental Health Institutes (at Pueblo and at Fort Logan) and adds $1.5 million General fund and 27.8 FTE to fund the new mental health competency unit at the Mental Health Institute at Pueblo for a full year.

  • Other areas. The Long Bill contains the following increases for core human services programs: $4.8 million General Fund for the child welfare budget; $1.6 million total funds for county updates for CBMS; and $1.9 million General Fund for county administration.
Capital Budget
  • The Long Bill contains $774.2 million in spending authority for capital projects at state agencies and institutions of higher education throughout the state of Colorado. Whereas most of these projects are being funded from the agencies and universities' own resources, $238.5 million will be spent from the state's Capital Construction Fund. This additional source will provide funding for 16 high-profile capital construction projects and will also fund strategic investments in public assets through eighty-five maintenance projects at state-owned facilities. Ten college campuses around Colorado will benefit from upgraded learning facilities, and three crucial projects aimed at accommodating Colorado's inmate population will go forward. In addition, a new Colorado State Veterans Center will be constructed at Homelake, a new High Security Forensics Institute will be built in Pueblo, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation will replace the backbone of the Colorado Crime Information System, which connects the CBI to every state, federal and international criminal database.
Long Bill Vetoes:

Click here to read the Governor's Headnote/Footnote Veto Message
  • Gov. Ritter vetoed seven headnotes and 81 footnotes within the operating and capital budgets in the Long Bill. The footnote vetoes were issued because the footnote both:
    • Violates the separation of powers in Article III of the Colorado Constitution by attempting to administer the appropriation, and

    • Violates Article V, Section 32 of the Colorado Constitution because it constitutes substantive legislation that cannot be included in the general appropriations bill.
In some instances, additional reasons included unfunded mandates or the allocation of funds the General Assembly has no authority to appropriate.