Colorado’s Joint Budget Committee is proposing an FY2026-27 budget that incorporates half a billion dollars worth of cuts to address a $1.5 billion budget shortage.

Colorado’s legislative activity has seen an increase in both bill volume and complexity over the past decade.

On paper, Colorado’s budget looks reasonably strong. Policymakers already dealt with a $1.2 billion income tax shortfall in May. Then, during a special session in August, they addressed another $1.2 billion

Denver’s real expenditures per resident grew 51% in the past decade.