Colorado Democrats Fail Job of Balancing Budget During Emergency Legislation

Because of cuts from federal Law H.R.1 (passed July 4, 2025), Colorado lost about $1 billion in revenue. Governor Polis responded: “I am calling the Colorado General Assembly to take immediate and needed TABOR-compliant action… to re-balance the State’s budget to ensure proper financial management” (tinyurl.com/2dwa4j85). But instead of reducing expenditures or following TABOR compliance, Democratic leadership increased spending and passed about $253 Million in new taxes (tinyurl.com/mw758vtd). These taxes were not TABOR-compliant, since TABOR requires a vote of the people for new taxes or tax rate increases. I testified during the Aug. 21-22 emergency session in favor of HB25B-018, which proposed spending cuts. Democrats voted in lockstep to kill the measure. On SB25B-002, I opposed $4.4M in new taxpayer funding for Planned Parenthood – which Democrats voted in lockstep to pass. Each action taken by the Democrats in control of the Assembly contradicted the Governor’s directive: They created non-TABOR-compliant new taxes, blocked Republican spending cuts, and increased spending—even directing extra funds to Planned Parenthood. This is all while facing a $1Billion deficit.

Democrats approved $4.4 million in extra funding for Planned Parenthood after H.R.1 cut Medicaid dollars to abortion providers for the next 12 months. Planned Parenthood employees and Democratic legislators argued that without that funding, 11,000 patients would be harmed—especially in rural areas—and that Planned Parenthood deserves taxpayer money for “abortion healthcare.” Both claims were thoroughly refuted in testimony.

True comprehensive medical care is already provided by over 250 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across Colorado (who do not perform abortions). As two sources confirm (tinyurl.com/ym4jnveu and tinyurl.com/8tndrjtz), none of Planned Parenthood’s 14 clinics serve the Eastern Plains whose make-up is all rural communities, while more than a dozen FQHCs are located in the Eastern Plains, (and 40 more in the mountains and over 200 along the I-25 corridor). Moreover, Planned Parenthood does not meet the standards of primary care: it lacks after-hours coverage, care coordination, quality reporting, and continuous data monitoring. Additionally, its own 2024 annual report shows only 6% of services are cancer screenings, preventative exams, and other services, while 94% are limited to niche reproductive procedures. This destroys PP’s claim to be a “comprehensive care provider.” In reality, its primary business is abortion, not healthcare (tinyurl.com/4kjnh3ne).

Supporters also argued PP deserves $4.4M to sustain “abortion healthcare.” In testimony, I asked: “if abortion is healthcare, why did this very same House Committee vote down HB25-1252 on March 11, which was a bill that would have required 2nd/3rd trimester abortion clinics to meet similar safety and inspection standards applied to birthing centers, tattoo parlors, and even veterinary clinics? Their refusal revealed the truth: since genuine healthcare in Colorado is always regulated for safety and such clinics are inspected regularly, then if you are not willing to apply those procedures to abortion clinics, it is self-evident you don’t believe abortion to be healthcare.

The absence of those safety standards and inspections resulted in predictably disastrous consequences for women in Colorado. During testimony on SB25B-002, three of those consequences were shared. First, an 18 year-old girl died on Feb. 6 after an abortion at Fort Collins Planned Parenthood (tinyurl.com/4bn6f9zf, at timestamps 12:09:30 to 12:12, and 12:16 to 12:19). Second, sex-trafficking survivor Maria Tell testified that a Denver Planned Parenthood ignored her trafficker when he forced her into their abortion clinic ((Maria teaches “Trafficking 101”. Her website is www.acourageousrose.org).). Third, testimony revealed how 13-year-old, “Bess,” was taken to a Denver Planned Parenthood by her trafficker/abuser for an abortion. Despite receiving written disclosure of her age, clinic-personnel failed to provide mandatory notification to her parents or report the crime, enabling ongoing assaults until her abuser was later convicted and sentenced to 28 years in prison (tinyurl.com/bp4tywcp). The Democrats on the HHS committee still voted in lockstep to approve it. Only Republicans voted against giving $4.4 M to Planned Parenthood.

On August 27, Governor Polis and Legislative Democrats signed SB25B-002 into law—don’t reward Executive or Legislative Democrats with your vote in next year's Colorado elections. Express your displeasure with Polis at (303) 866-2471 and/or email at governorpolis@state.co.us.

For further details, contact my email at lloydbenes50@gmail.com. 

Lloyd Benes, retired engineer, Loveland Resident