WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.280 --> 00:00:03.399 Big article today in Colorado Politics dot Com. 2 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:05.040 The headline let me just read it to you. 3 00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:11.160 Colorado budget faces one billion dollars shortfall. Atalys say it's 4 00:00:11.199 --> 00:00:14.279 due to federal tax overhaul. Joining me now with perhaps 5 00:00:14.279 --> 00:00:18.239 a different perspective, is Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer. She's been a 6 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:20.280 part of the Joint Budget Committee for the past few 7 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:24.559 years and has been sounding the alarm about the spending 8 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.039 that has been codified over the last few years by 9 00:00:28.120 --> 00:00:32.640 Democrats who have taken one time dollars from arpun created 10 00:00:32.679 --> 00:00:35.640 ongoing programs with them, and now I feel like the 11 00:00:35.759 --> 00:00:37.600 chickens have come home to Ruth. So, first of all, 12 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:39.320 Senator Kirkmeyer, welcome back to the show. 13 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:43.479 Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. 14 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:46.200 Okay, we're gonna start off with something that happened at 15 00:00:46.200 --> 00:00:48.560 the end of Ross Kiminski show, because I came in, 16 00:00:48.920 --> 00:00:51.280 as I do at the end of every Ross Kiminski show, 17 00:00:51.399 --> 00:00:53.759 and he was talking to the governor and Ross asked 18 00:00:53.759 --> 00:00:55.840 a question, did you just grab the Governor's answer? 19 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:57.159 Zach, is that what you grabbed? 20 00:00:58.799 --> 00:00:58.960 Wait? 21 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:00.240 Wait, hang on, I just want to say up the 22 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:01.560 question if you just grabbed the answer? 23 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:02.880 So Ross asked him. 24 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:05.599 He said, look, you know, your party is not really 25 00:01:05.719 --> 00:01:09.560 known for cutting spending, So how do you plan to 26 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:12.680 wrangle your party into line to cut the kind of 27 00:01:12.719 --> 00:01:14.760 spending that we need to cut Because we're in the 28 00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:17.280 whole of billion dollars and this is what the governor 29 00:01:17.319 --> 00:01:17.920 had to say. 30 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:20.400 You're going to see really funny politics for us. You're 31 00:01:20.400 --> 00:01:23.519 going to see Republicans advocating for more spending and less 32 00:01:23.560 --> 00:01:26.560 cuts and bigger government. I mean, you're you know, yeah, 33 00:01:26.799 --> 00:01:29.799 you're absolutely right. Democrats of the responsibility governing, they're gonna 34 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:31.760 have to agree to this one hundred percent. You will 35 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:34.400 also hear Republicans making the argument, don't cut this, don't 36 00:01:34.400 --> 00:01:36.120 cut this, and then they don't have to add up 37 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:38.680 the numbers because they are not governing all of a sudden, 38 00:01:38.680 --> 00:01:40.480 they don't want to cut anything, and the budget is 39 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:42.400 out of balance and they're big spenders. So you will 40 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:45.200 hear wacky politics out of this. There's no question you 41 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:47.599 can follow it, you know, if there's a special session 42 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:49.519 and beyond. But at the end of the day, I 43 00:01:49.560 --> 00:01:53.120 hope it's bipartists in governing majority. But perhaps the Republicans 44 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:55.280 feel that you can score political points by opposing these 45 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:58.040 cuts because you know, they value healthier, they value schools. 46 00:01:58.040 --> 00:02:01.200 So I don't know what to predicts. Ship absolutely enters 47 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.719 a picture in terms of how legislators pay. At the 48 00:02:03.799 --> 00:02:04.959 end of the day, we just need to get it 49 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:07.560 done with the majority, whether it's all Democrats, whether it's 50 00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:10.159 fly pars and whatever it is. A majority will need 51 00:02:10.199 --> 00:02:12.400 to figure out how to say balance the budget, because 52 00:02:12.439 --> 00:02:14.360 that is of course a customers requirement, a good one. 53 00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:16.039 I would add one night support we should have balance 54 00:02:16.039 --> 00:02:17.639 the budget now. 55 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:21.000 Senator Kirkmeyer, I know you're probably shocked to find out 56 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:23.159 that the Republicans in Colorado are the party of big 57 00:02:23.159 --> 00:02:25.520 spending and big government. What are your thoughts on that? 58 00:02:26.840 --> 00:02:29.719 I think that is funny. He's funny. He's a funny guy. 59 00:02:30.240 --> 00:02:31.560 As sevest one liner. 60 00:02:31.599 --> 00:02:33.680 I've heard all day today, and it came from the 61 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:35.479 governor that we're not going to want to cut. 62 00:02:36.039 --> 00:02:38.439 Seriously, it has not been the issue. 63 00:02:38.159 --> 00:02:42.199 With the minority party. I mean, he's one party in 64 00:02:42.240 --> 00:02:44.960 the one party control party. They have control of every 65 00:02:45.080 --> 00:02:47.680 you know, the House, the Senate, and the Governor's office. 66 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:49.199 Why haven't they fixed the budget? 67 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:51.080 I mean in this last year when I kept saying 68 00:02:51.360 --> 00:02:52.800 everybody needs to cut ten percent. 69 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:55.479 Every department should cut ten percent. We didn't get there. 70 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:57.759 And a year when inflation was two point four percent, 71 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:00.919 we increased our general fund operating budget. 72 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:03.360 By three point six percent. So an a year. 73 00:03:03.199 --> 00:03:05.479 After I lectured them on the state floor day after 74 00:03:05.560 --> 00:03:07.560 day after day, I mean they got tired of hearing me, 75 00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:11.159 we still increased our general fund operating budget, which is 76 00:03:11.159 --> 00:03:14.719 what needs to be cut over inflation. So and that 77 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.240 would be on the Dems. That would be on them. 78 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:19.520 So we'll see. But if the governor's coming in thinking 79 00:03:19.560 --> 00:03:21.560 he's going to cut K through twelve education. 80 00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:24.120 He needs to think again. This guy needs to. 81 00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:28.120 Actually define what the priorities are and what they should be. 82 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:31.000 And in my book, that's K through twelve education, that's 83 00:03:31.080 --> 00:03:34.960 Medicaid provider rates, it's neglected and abuse kids, and you know, 84 00:03:35.120 --> 00:03:36.599 I mean the list kind of goes on from there. 85 00:03:36.639 --> 00:03:38.479 But those are the top three that we should be funding. 86 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:40.520 Those are the top three things that this governor and 87 00:03:40.560 --> 00:03:42.479 his budget request last year thought it was a good 88 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:44.479 idea to try and cut and keep a hold of 89 00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:46.919 all these other projects that we just don't even need. 90 00:03:47.039 --> 00:03:50.400 I bet he can't even list all the projects, but anyways, 91 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:52.520 and new programs that he started. But I would like 92 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:53.800 to he is going to have to cut. 93 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:56.719 Well, I'd like to ask what you just listed off 94 00:03:56.759 --> 00:04:01.080 three priorities. What do you think the governor's priorities are 95 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:04.159 that he's demonstrated in his budget requests that are different 96 00:04:04.719 --> 00:04:08.719 than education, Medicaid providers, and connected neglected and abuse kids. 97 00:04:09.879 --> 00:04:11.680 Sure, I'll tell you what his priorities were in the 98 00:04:11.680 --> 00:04:14.879 budget request back in November first of twenty twenty four. 99 00:04:15.639 --> 00:04:18.000 He wanted to fund that big, ugly bridge. You want to. 100 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:21.000 Fund a new take a book down at the state 101 00:04:21.079 --> 00:04:23.319 Fair because you know it's O one hundred and fiftieth anniversary. 102 00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:26.519 He wanted to cut rural health care, so that wasn't 103 00:04:26.519 --> 00:04:30.040 a priority. He wanted to cut funding for neglected and 104 00:04:30.079 --> 00:04:31.800 abuse kids, so obviously that's. 105 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:32.480 Not a priority. 106 00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:35.720 He came in cutting Medicaid provider rates, not a priority 107 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:38.680 for him. And he wanted to cut K through twelve 108 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:39.800 education by one hundred and. 109 00:04:39.759 --> 00:04:42.079 Fifty million bucks. Again not a priority. 110 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:44.199 So I'm thinking all that other stuff that we don't 111 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:46.759 really need are his priorities and what I think are 112 00:04:46.839 --> 00:04:50.199 core critical components of government. A person who does know 113 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:53.240 how to govern talking here is what we should be funding. 114 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:55.319 So if he's going to call me a big spender 115 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:58.600 because I fund those things that are utmost important. 116 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:00.560 To the people in the state of color you know, 117 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:05.439 like public safety, education, healthcare, then go ahead, call me 118 00:05:05.439 --> 00:05:06.079 a big spender. 119 00:05:06.160 --> 00:05:07.879 He's right, we're not going to cut those, but we 120 00:05:07.920 --> 00:05:10.319 can cut all those other things like that Office of 121 00:05:10.519 --> 00:05:12.240 just Transition that needs. 122 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.279 To go the all the new employees. 123 00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:17.720 You know, over the course of the last six seven years, 124 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:20.480 we have increased employees state employees in the state by 125 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:23.959 about one thousand employees year over year. Now, granted some 126 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:26.439 of those are within the Department of Higher Education, but 127 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:27.560 he's still signed off on it. 128 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.560 When he signed that budget. We are, I mean, we're. 129 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:33.360 Close to seventy thousand new employees, our seventy thousand employees 130 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:34.839 in the state of Colorado. 131 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:37.199 With at least seven thousand of them being new employees. 132 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:38.199 So he's the. 133 00:05:38.120 --> 00:05:40.480 One who's not going to want to cut Why didn't 134 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:42.160 he do a hiring friese you know it? And he 135 00:05:42.199 --> 00:05:44.319 doesn't have to wait for the legislature. By the way, 136 00:05:45.040 --> 00:05:48.279 while we have to budget to current law, he doesn't have. 137 00:05:48.279 --> 00:05:50.399 To spend a current law, he could cut spending. 138 00:05:50.439 --> 00:05:52.639 Now, he can do what Bill Owens did and tell 139 00:05:52.680 --> 00:05:54.480 all of his department heads, you're going to have to 140 00:05:54.519 --> 00:05:57.079 cut ten percent this year, so start cutting now and 141 00:05:57.160 --> 00:05:58.800 let me know where it's at kind of thing. 142 00:05:58.839 --> 00:05:59.839 But he hasn't done that. 143 00:06:00.120 --> 00:06:03.839 In fact, yesterday in front of the legislative committee that 144 00:06:03.920 --> 00:06:06.439 I wasn't actually invited to be at, but I went 145 00:06:06.439 --> 00:06:12.000 in too. Anyways, Farandino, the governor's budget guy, Director Farandino, 146 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.319 said he's telling people they need to cut two point 147 00:06:14.399 --> 00:06:16.879 five percent. How the heck does he think that's going 148 00:06:16.920 --> 00:06:19.879 to get get us to a balanced budget. I mean, 149 00:06:19.879 --> 00:06:23.279 that's not even close, just not even close. So we'll 150 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:24.839 see what they come up with. I'd like to see 151 00:06:24.839 --> 00:06:26.800 what their plan is. And let's see what he's going 152 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.720 to say his priorities are, because if they aren't education, 153 00:06:29.879 --> 00:06:33.160 medicaid provider rates, and neglected and abuse kids, then he's 154 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:34.000 in the wrong place. 155 00:06:34.319 --> 00:06:36.519 So let's talk about medicaid for a moment. Because we 156 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:40.120 have expanded medicaid. We are now we have a program 157 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:42.839 to cover illegal immigrants. We are allowing people up tw 158 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:44.759 one hundred and thirty eight percent of the poverty level 159 00:06:45.000 --> 00:06:47.959 to sign up for Medicaid. We have able bodied, childless 160 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:50.839 people that are on Medicaid. None of these people were 161 00:06:50.839 --> 00:06:54.160 actually intended to be covered by Medicaid. Medicaid is our 162 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:57.759 biggest expenditure in the state. I understand what do we 163 00:06:57.800 --> 00:06:59.959 do with that? Is there a real potential to scale 164 00:07:00.120 --> 00:07:01.399 back some of that expansion? 165 00:07:03.480 --> 00:07:04.120 Well, first of. 166 00:07:04.040 --> 00:07:06.279 All, the program that one of the programs you were 167 00:07:06.279 --> 00:07:10.360 talking about for undocumented immigrants, the covering all Colorado's and 168 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:13.000 then there's the omni soluted program, which are both health 169 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:14.959 insurance programs. I'm not sure why we need them both 170 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:16.959 in the first place, but they both are. Those are 171 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:21.360 fun for undocumented immigrants, and those are not actual Medicaid programs. 172 00:07:21.639 --> 00:07:22.399 And here's the thing. 173 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:26.920 I keep asking everybody what criteria, eligibility criteria did the 174 00:07:26.959 --> 00:07:29.920 Feds change because I didn't see it in there. All 175 00:07:29.959 --> 00:07:32.879 they've done is said that those people who are able 176 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:36.240 bodied and I mean keep in mind able bodied individuals 177 00:07:36.519 --> 00:07:40.600 without dependents get to be on Medicaid and we're paying 178 00:07:40.639 --> 00:07:42.600 for that. And all they said was you've got to 179 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:45.720 work at least part time, or go to school or volunteer. 180 00:07:46.040 --> 00:07:47.040 You've got to do something. 181 00:07:47.240 --> 00:07:49.240 And the reality is from what I hear about sixty 182 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:53.759 percent of those individuals already do have a job. So again, 183 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:56.279 you know, we went through this, Our state went through this, 184 00:07:56.360 --> 00:07:58.360 so did the rest of the states went through this 185 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:01.160 went back in like nineteen ninety six when Bill Clinton 186 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:04.360 was president and we did welfare reform and added on 187 00:08:04.600 --> 00:08:10.040 work participation rates, required individual responsibility contracts of people who 188 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:12.199 are on welfare, and said you've got to go get 189 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.360 to work, or you've got to go to school, and 190 00:08:14.399 --> 00:08:17.399 you could only be on temporary aid to needy families 191 00:08:17.720 --> 00:08:20.560 for two years at a time, five years as a lifetime. 192 00:08:20.839 --> 00:08:23.439 We figured that out, and we didn't need three thousand 193 00:08:23.519 --> 00:08:26.959 new employees. Like the Executive Director of Healthcare Policy and 194 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:30.160 Finances trying to say, so, you know, maybe they should 195 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:32.600 go take a look back in history and instead of 196 00:08:32.600 --> 00:08:35.080 repeating their history, go back and repeat somebody's history that 197 00:08:35.120 --> 00:08:39.480 actually worked. Because right now, Healthcare Policy and Finance should 198 00:08:39.480 --> 00:08:42.799 be looking at that Combined Benefits Management Program, which is 199 00:08:42.879 --> 00:08:47.399 the computer system that hasn't worked since inception, So they 200 00:08:47.440 --> 00:08:49.120 should be going back and looking at that to try 201 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:49.960 and make that work. 202 00:08:50.120 --> 00:08:50.879 And they should look at. 203 00:08:50.799 --> 00:08:53.799 The application process because right now what I'm hearing is like, 204 00:08:53.840 --> 00:08:56.159 I don't know, I'm probably going to exaggerate here, but 205 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:58.720 it's like forty pages or it's so got off along 206 00:08:58.879 --> 00:09:00.120 that people can't get through it. 207 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:01.200 So how about the. 208 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:03.440 Executive director, instead of going out and scaring people all 209 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:07.720 over the place, just go fix that application process, go 210 00:09:07.799 --> 00:09:08.919 fix the redetermination. 211 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:10.600 So it's a heck of a lot quicker and smoother. 212 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:13.720 I mean, we've got computers, we've got the Internet. We 213 00:09:13.799 --> 00:09:15.159 got to be able to figure this out. 214 00:09:15.399 --> 00:09:18.399 So where would you suggest they start. You've got to 215 00:09:18.399 --> 00:09:20.639 cut a billion dollars. You've got a billion dollar shortfall. 216 00:09:21.080 --> 00:09:24.600 What's on the Barb Kirkmeyer shopping block to get us 217 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:25.919 to a billion dollars quickly? 218 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:29.039 Well, this is where it's going to be painful, because 219 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:31.559 the places that we need to look at are going 220 00:09:31.600 --> 00:09:35.159 to be tax credits and then new programs or programs 221 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:37.799 that just aren't working. And this is where the Democrats 222 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:40.320 have a really difficult time of I mean. 223 00:09:40.279 --> 00:09:42.759 They wring their hands. I mean, seriously, Mandy. 224 00:09:43.080 --> 00:09:45.480 Last year in the Joint and Budget Committee, it took 225 00:09:45.559 --> 00:09:48.320 four hours to cut one hundred thousand dollars out of 226 00:09:48.399 --> 00:09:52.399 the Department of Agriculture's budget. Four out and we were 227 00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:55.200 one point two billion dollars short last year in our 228 00:09:55.360 --> 00:09:57.960 know that we had to cut in our budget, but 229 00:09:58.000 --> 00:09:59.600 it took four hours for them. And I finally if 230 00:09:59.639 --> 00:10:00.840 I said, oh, oh my god, we're never going to 231 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:02.360 get done afe you people don't learn how to make 232 00:10:02.399 --> 00:10:02.919 a decision. 233 00:10:03.799 --> 00:10:05.600 But that was the Department of Agriculture. I'm like, you 234 00:10:05.639 --> 00:10:05.799 know what. 235 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:09.919 And we waited till the very end before we took 236 00:10:09.960 --> 00:10:12.000 the long bill across the street to the other ninety 237 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:16.440 four legislators to vote on the school finance, to vote 238 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:18.559 on higher education, and to vote. 239 00:10:18.320 --> 00:10:20.559 On the medicaid provider rates. I think we should do 240 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:21.919 those three things. First. 241 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.279 We should set our budget and then determine our budget 242 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:27.480 around them and start cutting programs that you know, that 243 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:30.759 just aren't necessary anymore, or that maybe we. 244 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:31.799 Just can't afford. 245 00:10:32.399 --> 00:10:34.200 And so we're gonna have to look at programs, and 246 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:35.360 we're going to look at some of. 247 00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:36.200 Those tax credits. 248 00:10:36.440 --> 00:10:39.519 Because here's what I heard yesterday in the hearing that 249 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.799 the Democrat legislative leadership had and the two minority leaders 250 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:46.679 were there as well, so the two Republicans basically I 251 00:10:46.720 --> 00:10:49.279 heard this, what are we going to do about those 252 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:52.840 crazy Republicans back in d C. They have the audacity 253 00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:54.720 to tell people, we're going to cut your taxes and 254 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:57.320 give you a tax break, and because of that, our 255 00:10:57.360 --> 00:10:59.840 revenues are going to be less so and this was 256 00:11:00.080 --> 00:11:03.080 ker McCluskey who said this, basically, so, because of those 257 00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:05.120 corporations are getting the tax break, we're going to have 258 00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:06.759 to figure out how to raise taxes to get. 259 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:07.600 Our revenues back up. 260 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:11.559 So those crazy Republicans in DC are saying we're going 261 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:14.120 to cut taxes and give everybody a tax break, and 262 00:11:14.120 --> 00:11:15.600 those crazy Democrats. 263 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:16.639 In Colorado are saying, oh, not. 264 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:19.200 So fast, We're just going to increase your taxes. That 265 00:11:19.360 --> 00:11:21.879 is not something that Republicans will vote for. The governor's 266 00:11:21.879 --> 00:11:22.480 correct on that. 267 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:26.399 So let me ask this question specifically about that about 268 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:29.200 raising taxes, because you are part of a lawsuit that 269 00:11:29.279 --> 00:11:32.879 has just been filed about the move that was done. 270 00:11:32.759 --> 00:11:35.480 In another bill that essentially. 271 00:11:35.240 --> 00:11:38.480 Says, even if you get a break on overtime, we're 272 00:11:38.559 --> 00:11:41.840 still going to count that as taxable income because we 273 00:11:41.919 --> 00:11:44.799 don't want to lose those tax dollars. You're arguing that 274 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:47.639 that's a tax increase in a violation of Tabor correct. 275 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.759 Correct And it is a tax increase. 276 00:11:51.159 --> 00:11:53.759 Anytime you have a change in tax policy that increases 277 00:11:53.879 --> 00:11:56.360 revenue to the state, you're supposed to go to a 278 00:11:56.440 --> 00:11:57.120 vote of the people. 279 00:11:57.399 --> 00:11:59.960 Anytime that you have a tax change that. 280 00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:02.240 Increases revenue, you're supposed to go to a vote of 281 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:05.440 the people. And it specifically says in that statute, and 282 00:12:05.480 --> 00:12:08.559 it was House Build twenty five, twelve ninety six, it 283 00:12:08.759 --> 00:12:14.559 says that you're right that if the federal government exempts 284 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:18.240 taxes on overtime, we are going to add them back on. 285 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:20.919 We are going to add on a tax. 286 00:12:21.320 --> 00:12:23.399 I think it's pretty clear that they should have gone 287 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:26.480 to back gone to a vote of the people to 288 00:12:26.519 --> 00:12:30.879 see if they wanted to tax their overtime. Sorry, I 289 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:33.120 just have to laugh about it because it's crazy to 290 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:35.799 me that they think that's okay. You know, like they 291 00:12:35.840 --> 00:12:38.080 can't figure out how to manage a budget, They can't 292 00:12:38.080 --> 00:12:40.080 figure out how to govern, they don't know what their 293 00:12:40.080 --> 00:12:42.840 priorities are. This is one party control. They could do 294 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:45.480 anything they wanted to do because it is one party. 295 00:12:45.519 --> 00:12:48.039 They've got the majority. I'm in the minority. 296 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:52.919 Yeah, they've gotten us in this budget mess all by themselves. 297 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:56.039 The first thing they did is they blamed COVID. Remember, 298 00:12:56.440 --> 00:12:58.679 I mean, we got all this money. It was supposed 299 00:12:58.679 --> 00:13:00.600 to be for one time spending, but gosh, we just 300 00:13:00.639 --> 00:13:04.480 could and help ourselves. So we turned it into ongoing spending, 301 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:07.799 and we started overspending and overspending and overspending. And then 302 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:11.000 because we can't we can't blame COVID forever, they started 303 00:13:11.000 --> 00:13:11.720 blaming Tabor. 304 00:13:11.840 --> 00:13:14.639 Tabor's the problem, you know. Tabor's why we don't have 305 00:13:14.759 --> 00:13:15.840 nice things in government. 306 00:13:15.960 --> 00:13:18.879 That's what Senator Jeff Bridges used to say all the time, 307 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:22.080 and he finally stopped saying it because I would retort back, Tabor. 308 00:13:21.799 --> 00:13:23.600 Is why the people could have nice things. 309 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:24.279 You know. 310 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:27.720 Tabor is what limits government, and that's what we need. 311 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:29.960 If we didn't have tabor, oh my gosh, we'd be 312 00:13:29.960 --> 00:13:31.000 even in worse shape. 313 00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:33.519 But so then they blamed it on Tabor. Well, now 314 00:13:33.519 --> 00:13:34.799 they figured out, you know, in our. 315 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:36.960 June forecast, they already figured out we were going to 316 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:37.639 have to make. 317 00:13:37.720 --> 00:13:41.320 Cuts to tax credits and cuts to programs. We already 318 00:13:41.320 --> 00:13:43.919 had this discussion. This was not new, this was all 319 00:13:43.960 --> 00:13:46.080 prior to the federal bill passing. 320 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:48.720 And now it's like, oh wait a minute, why miss 321 00:13:48.759 --> 00:13:49.759 this opportunity. 322 00:13:50.240 --> 00:13:52.799 Let's just blame it on the Feds. 323 00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:55.759 Let's blame it on the Republicans back there, because silly, 324 00:13:55.759 --> 00:13:57.799 crazy Republicans are just trying to give you. 325 00:13:57.759 --> 00:14:00.080 A tax relief. 326 00:13:59.159 --> 00:14:02.120 So I'm gonna use it later and see if I 327 00:14:02.120 --> 00:14:04.720 can make a map of which states are now facing 328 00:14:04.759 --> 00:14:08.759 a budget shortfall because of the big beautiful bill. Let's 329 00:14:08.799 --> 00:14:11.000 just assume that that's correct. I bet you there's a 330 00:14:11.000 --> 00:14:12.080 bunch of states that aren't. 331 00:14:12.440 --> 00:14:13.120 That's the thing. 332 00:14:13.200 --> 00:14:15.600 It's like, why are we in this pickle when other 333 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:17.679 states are not in this pickle? And I think that's 334 00:14:17.720 --> 00:14:20.519 the big thing? Or why not ask why not have 335 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:24.799 the Republican leadership go and say, look, we need ten 336 00:14:24.840 --> 00:14:27.919 percent from every department. Can you guys find it. We'd 337 00:14:27.960 --> 00:14:31.360 love for you to provide for US programs, redundancies, whatever 338 00:14:31.360 --> 00:14:34.120 you think is not working, whatever we can take. Give 339 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.639 us ten percent. If we find out we don't need 340 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:39.279 ten percent, we'll give you the extra money. But why 341 00:14:39.320 --> 00:14:42.320 not take a more proactive stance if the governor's not 342 00:14:42.360 --> 00:14:44.799 willing to do it. I only say this because I 343 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:46.519 have a friend who worked for a private company. It 344 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:48.879 was a large company, but as a family owned and 345 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:51.360 they had a couple really rough years, and the owner 346 00:14:51.399 --> 00:14:53.679 of the company called everybody in for a meeting and 347 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:56.879 said exactly that, guys, I need ten percent of your budget. 348 00:14:57.159 --> 00:15:00.039 You know how you spend your money better than I do. 349 00:15:00.080 --> 00:15:01.960 You figure out where we can take that from. 350 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:02.600 And everybody. 351 00:15:02.679 --> 00:15:04.399 Now it's a private company, so it's a little bit 352 00:15:04.399 --> 00:15:07.360 different in terms of incentive. But everybody went back to 353 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:09.360 their departments and said, where do we have ten percent? 354 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:13.240 They then provided them the list and it was painless because. 355 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.000 Everybody had buy in. 356 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:16.840 You know, everybody was already on board with with what 357 00:15:16.879 --> 00:15:18.200 we needed to do exactly. 358 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:22.159 So I did that at the Joint Budget Committee and 359 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:23.919 I said, look, everybody, you just need to cut ten 360 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:25.600 percent because here was the thing. 361 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:27.679 You know, we were trying to find one point two billion. 362 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:30.159 Part of that was the three hundred and fifty million 363 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:33.120 from the you know, ballid measure for back the Blue, 364 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:36.159 the Prop one thirty, and you know, I figured out 365 00:15:36.200 --> 00:15:38.600 a process for that to make sure that, you know, 366 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:40.960 we were able to work that into our budget. But 367 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:45.440 I told everybody in in the sessions that we were having, 368 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:48.799 we have hearings first, we have briefings at the Joint 369 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:49.759 Budget Committee, with. 370 00:15:49.799 --> 00:15:52.639 Departments, then we have hearings, and then we have. 371 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:55.600 Figure setting the whole way through. I'm like, you guys 372 00:15:55.600 --> 00:15:56.559 need to cut ten percent. 373 00:15:56.799 --> 00:15:57.720 I told judicial. 374 00:15:57.799 --> 00:16:00.600 You know there's the judicial branch like no, no, no, 375 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:02.600 we need new judges, we need to do this, we need. 376 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:04.480 All this stuff. I mean, they wanted to increase their 377 00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:08.120 budget skyrocketed. I lectured them all. I'm telling you, I said, 378 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:09.240 we need ten percent cut. 379 00:16:09.600 --> 00:16:12.320 They wouldn't come back in and you know what, again, 380 00:16:12.360 --> 00:16:13.600 I'm on the minority. 381 00:16:13.639 --> 00:16:14.120 It's me and. 382 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:16.519 Representive Taggart were the only two Republicans on a six 383 00:16:16.639 --> 00:16:19.360 member joint Budget Committee, and the other four Dems were 384 00:16:19.399 --> 00:16:21.879 like no, they just wouldn't make all those cuts. 385 00:16:22.200 --> 00:16:24.759 They just couldn't make the cuts. Even this year. 386 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:28.360 On that last day before we were again closing out 387 00:16:28.360 --> 00:16:30.159 the budget and bringing it over to the other ninety 388 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:32.480 four members, I told them all, I said, you realized 389 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:35.480 you've looked at the overview, right you realize that we 390 00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:39.679 have one time cuts in here, one time spending at 391 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:41.879 least a half billion dollars that I can add up. 392 00:16:41.759 --> 00:16:42.879 In my head right now. 393 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:45.919 That's we're going to have to add it on to 394 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:48.039 that next year and We're gonna have to find that 395 00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:49.919 next year, and there aren't going to be any more 396 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:53.120 couch cushions to look under. There's no more shellgame shenanigans 397 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:54.960 that you get to do with the budget. We are 398 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:59.159 going to have to cut programs or tax credits, and 399 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:00.639 you all are going to have to come to the 400 00:17:00.679 --> 00:17:03.759 table and start answering where you want to make those cuts, 401 00:17:03.919 --> 00:17:07.960