Senate finance committee advances $59.8 billion budget after amendments; directs disaster relief, hospital and volunteer grants

The Senate Finance, Ways and Means Committee approved the fiscal year budget bill, Senate Bill 14-31, on April 15, 2025, recommending the measure for passage to the committee on the calendar. Leader Johnson moved the bill and the committee adopted three finance amendments before approving the Appropriations Act as amended, with the clerk recording seven ayes, two noes and one present-not-voting.

Why it matters: The Appropriations Act sets the state's spending plan for the next fiscal year and contains line-item changes negotiated between the administration and the legislature. Committee members said the amended package keeps the bottom line consistent with the governor's numbers while redirecting some proposed expenditures to priorities identified by legislative negotiators.

Leader Johnson, who presented the package to the committee, said the amendment follows negotiations with the administration and the House and that the legislative amendment "redirected $3,000,000 recurring and $141,400,000 nonrecurring" and otherwise reallocated funding to fit the legislature's priorities. He told the committee the package does not recognize potential new revenue from two pending bills (vape and hemp) and that those revenues would be carried forward, not booked in this year's budget.

Top-line and notable allocations - Budget scale: Committee discussion…