DENVER – The state Senate dug in for a marathon session Wednesday night as lawmakers debated the state’s $28.3 billion budget and the 12 “orbital” bills that make it work.

Some of these bills passed without debate, such as Senate Bill 266, which reduces the required amount of reserve the state must retain from the General Fund to make up for shortfalls in revenue. But other measures garnered substantial opposition such as SB 256, which reduces the funds gathered by the Hospital Provider Fee by $264 million.

Opponents of SB 256 expressed concerns about the impacts cutting the fee would have on hospitals, but the bill was passed because the rest of the budget would unravel without the cut.

“This is a critical but painful step of getting to where we need to be, but it is not the last step,” said Sen. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs. This was in reference to another measure, SB 267, which would reform the provider fee and eliminate the need to cut it.

After the orbital bills were cleared, the debate switched to the almost 50 amendments that were proposed to the state’s budget.

These amendments aimed to correct a number of debated issues in the budget and ranged from cutting the budget for each state department by 1.9 percent to redirecting funds to transportation infrastructure and funding and restoring the $3 million in tax incentives for the film industry.

While many amendments did not survive floor debate they showed just how difficult crafting the budget was and just how much unrest exists among lawmakers concerning what has been presented. It was a theme Gov. John Hickenlooper weighed in on.

Hickenlooper said this year’s budget is particularly difficult because deep cuts had to be made and an array of legislation is still pending that could affect the final picture, such as the HB 1242, which raises taxes to generate funds for transportation.

“I have to say this is about the most complicated array of legislation since I’ve been governor … so many of these bills and budget proposals intersect with each other and influence each other,” Hickenlooper said.

One area the governor took issue with was the lack of funding for homeless individuals. He objected to a lack of funds to provide job training to the homeless and to rehabilitate convicts funded by the Marijuana Tax Fund.

“This costs a fraction of what it costs to have people go back to prison or enter into mental health hospitals or receive treatment in the emergency rooms, and those real supportive services can make all the difference in the world in a person’s life,” Hickenlooper said.

After the budget is approved by the Senate, it will head to the House where members will have a chance strip amendments and propose their own.

lperkins@durangoherald.com