Government expansion should be limited in Colorado

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Scott W. Renfroe
March 26, 2008

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This week, the Long Bill (House Bill 08-1375) will be introduced for consideration by the Colorado House and Senate. What is the Long Bill? The Joint Budget Committee writes the annual appropriations bill, called the Long Bill, for the operations of state government. It is 616 pages of budget line items. This bill provides for the payment of expenses of the executive, legislative and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1.

It is a yearlong process to develop the Long Bill. Departments submit budgets to the JBC and hearings are scheduled in November and December to discuss the budget requests. By Feb. 1, the JBC must introduce to the General Assembly a joint resolution, which sets the amount from the state's general fund available for appropriation for the next fiscal year. Then during February and March, the JBC makes decisions on the level of funding for each department in state government for the next fiscal year. The Long Bill is finally introduced to the General Assembly in late March, and after both houses pass the bill, it is sent to the governor. The governor has line-item veto power in acting on the bill.

The proposed FY 2008-09 budget provides for the following general fund increases: $157 million for K-12 education; $69.1 million for the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing; $64.6 million for higher education; $52 million for the Department of Corrections; $44.6 million for the Department of Human Services; and $29.5 million for the judicial branch. There are 49,488 full-time equivalent positions in Colorado's state government. This proposal also requests 1,334 additional full-time equivalent positions.

Referendum C was passed by the voters in 2005 and allows the state to retain all tax revenues through FY 2009-10. We are in the third year of the five-year time out. Our legislative council staff projects that the state will be allowed to retain an additional $1.3 billion in FY 2006-07, $1 billion in FY 2007-08, and $1.1 billion in FY 2008-09 above the TABOR limit.

In the first three years of Referendum C, our economy will generate close to the entire five-year projection of Referendum C revenue.

The five-year forecast for Referendum C revenue is $5.8 billion. This estimate is down from the $6.3 billion estimate from December 2007. This 1.3 percent decrease in revenue will be used by many legislators, organizations and big government advocates to appeal to Colorado residents the need for additional tax money, a Referendum C II.

Government always wants to expand and needs more money to do good things. We must challenge that impulse by first asking if the proposed program is a proper function of government. Can the private sector provide this service? President Ronald Reagan said, "Man is not free unless government is limited." We must look at the spending habits of our Colorado General Assembly and governor, all 616 pages, and ask ourselves the question: Are we free?

Sen. Scott W. Renfroe, R-Greeley, is member of the Judiciary Committee and the Transportation Committee for the Colorado Senate.