Colorado House GOP announces committee assignments for 2026 session
The Colorado House’s Republican leadership has announced its members’ committee assignments for the 2026 legislative session, which begins Jan. 14.
“These committee assignments showcase our readiness to bring accountability and common sense back into the legislative process,” said Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, R-Colorado Springs. “The members chosen for these committees understand the challenges families are facing, and they are prepared to scrutinize every proposal through the lens of affordability, safety, and responsible government. House Republicans will be an active and effective voice for the millions of Coloradans who expect better results from their state government.”
“Even worse than we thought”: Colorado is stuck in a cycle of annual, $1B state budget shortfalls
Colorado lawmakers are stuck in a cycle of annual budget shortfalls of roughly $1 billion, predominantly caused by the skyrocketing cost of Medicaid.
That was the warning last week from the top nonpartisan staffer for the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, which is tasked with drafting the state budget. JBC Staff Director Craig Harper called the trend “alarming.”
The shortfalls come from how much money lawmakers have to spend each year growing more slowly than the cost of maintaining existing state programs and services.
JBC: Budget plan underfunds Medicaid, adds to government
In two months, the second regular session of the 75th Colorado General Assembly will open, and Joint Budget Committee (JBC) director Craig Harper said the conditions won’t be much unlike the prior session a year ago.
The state is expected to be facing an $850 million shortfall.
Members of the JBC organized Wednesday and heard a $50.7 billion budget proposal from Gov. Jared Polis, which cuts from Medicaid but not from what some criticized as an inflated state government.
“At a time where we’re making cuts, we’re adding 355 new employees,” said Rep. Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction. “I wonder when are we going to get serious about looking at our own internal efficiencies, department by department.”
Fund It or Fix It: Where government meets the people
When lawmakers pass a new bill, there’s one question we should all ask before we vote: Who’s going to pay for it?
Too often, that question goes unanswered. Across Colorado, local governments are being asked to carry out new state laws — on everything from wildfire codes to building standards — without the funding to make them possible. These are called unfunded mandates, and they’ve quietly become one of the biggest threats to local budgets and the essential services people depend on.
In Mesa County alone, these mandates now cost nearly $10 million each year. Statewide, the total is estimated at more than $360 million — money that could otherwise fund deputies, road repairs, or mental health programs. Instead, it covers the cost of laws the state created but didn’t fund.