JBC warns $252.7 million shortfall; recommends targeted supplementals, guardrails for CBI testing

Rep. Rick Taggart, a member of the Joint Budget Committee, told a caucus that Colorado faces a $252,700,000 general‑fund shortfall for fiscal 2024–25 and outlined the committee's recommended supplemental actions and priorities.

The shortfall is driven primarily by health‑care related supplementals, Taggart said. "I have been saying in caucus meetings ... it is actually 252,700,000," he said, adding that the committee will likely tap the state's reserve and try to reduce the gap through figure setting and the long bill but that "I don't know where we're gonna get that" in the final four months of the year.

The briefing summarized major supplemental recommendations and urgent requests the committee considered for the upcoming long bill and figure setting. Taggart emphasized procedural notes for members: amendments to the supplementals were due by 4:00 p.m. that day and, he said, "it's really important to understand that amendments are confidential."

Why it matters: The shortfall and the committee's supplemental recommendations affect hospitals, community health centers, K‑12 districts and public safety operations across Colorado. Several items are described as entitlement or census‑driven, meaning the state has statutory or programmatic obligations that limit discretion to decline spending.

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