State officials are scrambling a bit to fund highway projects now that Referendum D failed with the voters. The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that Governor Owens wants to earmark most of the Referendum C dough next year for highways [November 16, 2005, "Ref C eyed for roads"]. From the article, "Gov. Bill Owens on Tuesday proposed spending nearly all of the $440 million in new money that Referendum C will bring Colorado this year on highway construction and the state's reserve fund. That's technically allowed under Ref C, which lifted TABOR limits on state spending for five years. But it doesn't match the message of the just-completed election campaign for Ref C, which told voters the additional revenue would go to K-12 schools, higher education and health care. Owens would provide significant new money for those areas only next year, in the 2006-2007 budget. The Republican governor's spending proposals are not set in stone. Colorado's legislature sets the budget, and it is controlled by Democrats. House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, was critical, but did not condemn the governor's budget."
Here's the coverage from the Denver Post [November 16, 2005, "Roads take the fast lane in Owens' budget plan"].
Meanwhile the people will be watching the budget as never before, according to the Rocky Mountain News [Novmeber 16, 2005, "Budget plan encounters high level of scrutiny"]. From the article, "Spending proposals suggested by the governor Tuesday are just the opening act in a fiscal opera that won't reach a climax until next year. That's when legislators and the governor will come to terms on increases in the current Colorado budget as well as a state spending plan for 2006-2007. What's different this year is a remarkable level of public interest in the budget, following the battle over Referendum C."
Category: Denver November 2005 Election
8:41:25 AM 
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