Op-Ed: Tightening the budget will have real-life dire consequences for Coloradans

January 15, 2025 Bell Policy Center Staff
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Facts

Part of our work here at the Bell includes pushing back on narratives that are misleading or inaccurate. That's exactly what we did when we penned this op-ed taking The Denver Post to task for saying that closing looming $750 million state budget deficit was a simple exercise in trimming budgetary fat, or could be accomplished by fixing some rounding errors. Please. We've spent a lot of time looking at these issues and solutions will be neither easy or harmless.

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The text reads "2025 Legislative Session Preview" alongside a snowy scene of a grand government building with a dome and snow-laden trees, setting the stage for insights into the upcoming 2025 legislation.

2025 Legislation Session Preview

January 15, 2025 Josh Mantell
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Facts, Frontpage, Legislative Resources

The 2025 legislative session could be a bumpy ride, driven by scarcity and the need to make substantial cuts to the Colorado state budget for 2025-26.

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In The Know: Earned Wage Access Loans Are a New Twist on an Old Idea

January 13, 2025 Andrea Kuwik
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Facts, Fair Lending & Asset Building, Frontpage, Need to Know

Colorado’s financial progress is being jeopardized by new, unregulated high-cost loans, where individuals get short-term, small-dollar advances, borrowing against their future paycheck and leading to cycles of debt.

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In a black and white image, a multi-story residential building stands against the backdrop of rolling hills. Text reads "Proposition 123 in Jefferson County.

Proposition 123 and Jefferson County

December 18, 2024 Efren Garcia
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Costs to Families

In 2022, Colorado voters passed Proposition 123, dedicating approximately $300 million annually from the state’s TABOR surplus to support several programs to address housing affordability. Learn more.

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A $670 Million State Budget Deficit Will Force Impossible Choices

December 18, 2024 Andrea Kuwik
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Facts, Fiscal Policy

Limited funds. Many competing priorities. There are no good choices when proposing a budget that requires recession-level cuts to state services. An investment in one government service means a reduction elsewhere.

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Black and white image of Colorado's state capitol building with a dome. Text reads "Legislative Session Bill Tracker 2025" alongside abstract yellow shapes.

Colorado Bill Tracker 2025

December 13, 2024 Bell Policy Center Staff
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Legislative Resources

Stay up to date on important bills headed through the Colorado General Assembly during the 2025 session.

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Two damaged cars in a front-to-front collision against a black background with yellow accents. The text reads: Collision Course. Growing Medicaid Need and an Increasingly Constricted Healthcare Budget.

Collision Course: Growing Medicaid Need and an Increasingly Constricted Budget

November 21, 2024 Andrea Kuwik
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Facts, Insights

The reasons for Colorado’s budget crises are multifold. Yet, an undeniably significant portion of our challenges stem from growing Medicaid costs, particularly those attributable to a rapidly growing population of aging Coloradans.

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A white woman holds a piggy bank in her left hand and a miniature home in her left hand, comparing the two options, against a black background with yellow accents. The text reads: Discerning Colorado Voters Support Increased Public Funding.

Discerning Colorado Voters Support Increased Public Funding

November 20, 2024 Josh Mantell
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Facts, Fiscal Policy, Insights

Colorado voters favored increased spending, increased taxes, and exempting local tax revenue from TABOR, showing an overall readiness to move toward funding community priorities like education, transportation, child care, health care, and other crucial programs.

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Elderly woman smiling warmly as a young woman hugs her and laughs in a cozy home environment.

The Gap Between Public Investment & the True Cost of In-Home Care For Older Adults

November 19, 2024 Perrine Monnet
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Costs to Families, Facts, Insights

Current public funding levels fall significantly short in adequately supporting caregivers of older adults in Colorado. Investing in both paid and unpaid care will support older adults in need of care and support those who dedicate themselves to caregiving, creating a more sustainable and effective care ecosystem.

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A woman embraces an elderly woman seated in a wheelchair on a tree-lined path, their smiles reflecting the joy of Colorado home care.

The Colorado Home Care Cost Model

November 19, 2024 Perrine Monnet
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Costs to Families, Frontpage, Insights

The Bell has developed a Home Care Cost Model for older adults, an important tool for researchers, advocates, and decision makers, as they strive to understand the implications of policy choices on the care economy, its workers, and the older Coloradans who rely upon it.

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