Colorado: Department Of Revenue

Colorado's economy is still bad, and the state's budget — which faces a $1 billion shortfall over the next 16 months — won't be much better off even two years from now.

That was the grim assessment lawmakers heard Monday as they were briefed on the budget in an unusual joint House and Senate session. The purpose was to help all lawmakers understand how the six-member Joint Budget Committee crafted a plan to balance the budget in the current fiscal year, which ends in June.

The plan relies on transferring $230.9 million from cash funds, spending down $148.6 million in reserves and cutting a variety of programs.

The House voted 52-12 for a bill that would make Sept. 11 an optional holiday.

Rep. Ed Casso, D-Thornton, ran the bill after realizing the overwhelming emotions that people feel about the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001. The measure would allow state employees to take off Sept. 11 if they work on one of the other state holidays that falls during the week.

Seven Democrats - Debbie Benefield, Claire Levy, Beth McCann, Jack Pommer, Joe Rice, Jim Riesberg and Sue Schafer - and five Republicans - Laura Bradford, Larry Liston, Ellen Roberts, Ken Summers and Spencer Swalm - voted against the bill.