COLORADO BUDGET TALKS BEGIN
Denver—Colorado taxpayers can forget getting a refund next year under the new budget being proposed. The good news is, there won’t be any huge cuts to education. House lawmakers are debating Colorado’s 27 billion dollar budget that actually includes a slight per-pupil increase for K-12 schools. A few months ago, members of the Joint Budget Committee, including District 57 State Representative Bob Rankin, didn’t expect to see extra money going to education. That’s because about 150 million dollars in TABOR tax refunds were anticipated. The new budget plan also spares state colleges and doctors who treat the ppor from budget cuts. The budget does however call for over 70 million dollars in cuts from hospitals. Lawmakers are expected to bicker over smaller parts of the budget, especially a plan to further cut carbon emissions from power plants.
STEAMBOAT SUV / BUS CRASH FOLLOW UP
Steamboat Springs—Bad tires probably contributed to the head-on crash between a Ford Explorer and a Steamboat Springs transit bus on US Highway 40 Tuesday night. Investigators with the Colorado State Patrol say all four of the SUV’s tires were smooth, making traction on the curved, snowy road a big challenge. The driver of the Explorer is listed in fair condition at Yampa Valley Medical Center. The driver’s dog was killed in the crash. The bus driver and five passengers were treated and released for
moderate injuries.
