Joint appropriations committee advances $18.3 billion FY2027 budget and grouped bills for floor votes

The Joint House and Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a negotiated Fiscal Year 2027 budget package on Wednesday, moving 16 paired house and senate bills as a single grouped recommendation for floor consideration.

Budget staff told the panel that the General Appropriation Act (House Bill 4,154 / Senate Bill 18‑47) appropriates approximately $18,286,000,000 from the general fund for FY2027 and includes a mix of ongoing and one‑time items. Staff said the package contains one‑time transfers that raise an estimated $139.6 million, lump‑sum 2.5% reductions to many agency operating budgets (with exceptions), $324.7 million to support the state health insurance plan and a $100 million ongoing increase beginning in FY2029, $200 million for school facilities building renewal grants, and targeted increases for the Department of Corrections including funds to make a 4% correctional‑officer salary increase permanent.

Committee leadership described a compressed process: members agreed to hear testimony on each budget bill, limit amendments at the committee level and perform a single “mass motion” to group the bills for floor action. After staff presentations and public comment, the Senate and House voted to give the grouped bills a due‑pass recommendation. In the Senate mass motion, members recorded an 8–2 favorable voice/roll outcome on the recommendation; the House returned a 15 yes, 1 no, 2 present result on the grouped motion, and the joint committee concluded by returning the bills with a new‑pass recommendation.

Members and witnesses pressed staff for details on specific allocations and policy changes. Staff flagged several notable elements included elsewhere in the package: a moratorium on accepting applications for new computer data‑center incentives for three years (through mid‑2029), increases to school funding formula components (standard 2% adjustment), capital outlay appropriations for highways and airports (approximately $549 million across funds), and targeted public‑safety and natural‑resource relief line items (flood and wildfire assistance).

The committee heard multiple public commenters urging adjustments before floor debate: advocates and family members urged restoring independent oversight for licensed group homes (the COMET monitoring program), higher education and adult‑education advocates asked for restored operating aid for community colleges, and departmental witnesses outlined pilots and administrative requests such as $2 million for a school‑safety biometric pilot. Leadership said some floor amendments may be possible but emphasized that the mass motion approach limits the number of changes for final passage.

The committee adjourned after the grouped votes; the bills will proceed to floor consideration in each chamber.