DENVER | Paid family leave, expanding free preschool and fiscal responsibility are all high on Gov. Jared Polis’ priority list for the upcoming year’s state budget.
Polis unveiled his $34.5 billion request Friday, highlighting that it saves the state $238 million and puts forth $31 million to boost reserves to 7.5 percent, an ask that Polis said isn’t “politically glamorous” but important if the state experiences a recession.
Polis told reporters Friday he hopes state lawmakers, who are tasked with approving a budget during the 2020 legislative session, “hear the voice of fiscal responsibility,” fearing that it may be more difficult to persuade legislators to pad the state’s coffers for the future.
If his request is approved, every state employee will have eight weeks of paid family leave, which would “enable state workers to care for a new child, aging partner or parent.” The state’s approximate 30,000 workforce currently has no paid family leave. Polis said this change would help attract and retain state workers in a particularly competitive economy.
The cost for providing that benefit will be approximately $10 million.
State workers are also expected to get a 2 percent raise.
The eight-week determination came after averaging paid family leave policies in large employers across the state, which is about seven weeks, he said.
The budget request maintains $140 million in the state education fund, which would cover the cost of free full-day kindergarten in case of an economic downturn, Polis said. Under his budget request, about 6,000 more children would have access to free preschool. That is estimated to cost $27 million.
State college tuition, which saw a freeze in tuition increases this year, would rise about 3 percent if voters do not approve Proposition CC this November, he said. About $60 million available through Prop. CC would be allocated to higher education to allow for that freeze.
On the November ballot, Prop CC asks voters to forgo state tax surplus refunds, a component of Colorado’s unique tax laws. The refunds run from about $20 to $60 a year, dependent on the state economy. The refunds are part of a law that requires tax increases to be approved by voters. That part of the law would not change under Prop. CC.
Prop. CC wasn’t included in Polis’ current budget request. If the measure passes, Polis said he will author a budget letter amending his request, a total of about $348 million.
The budget asks for $3.5 million for school safety. It’s not clear how that would be spent yet. In comments earlier to Aurora Sentinel editorial board, Polis spoke to concern over school shootings and other security issues.
Polis is asking for another $1 million for improvements in schools under threat of being taken over by the state.
The budget also puts an emphasis on the “Colorado Way of Life,” adding $2.3 million for improving air quality, mostly through hiring regulators, adding electric cars into the state’s fleet and adding $10 million for state parks.
Democrats in the legislature welcomed the proposal — Senate President Leroy Garcia said he was particularly pleased with investments outside of the Denver metro region — and Republicans but said there’s room to work in the proposal.
“Governor Polis seems to have adjusted well from the deficit-spending of Washington D.C. to the budgetary realities of Colorado state government. Here in Colorado, a dollar is a dollar, and we have to pass a balanced budget every year,” said Senate Minority Leader Chris Holbert. “I thank the Governor and his staff for sitting down with us to discuss his budget proposal. While we obviously have some disagreements over budget priorities, we more importantly see many places in this proposal where we can work together.”