Date: 04/10/2012
Final
Long Bill Briefing with the JBC
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
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11:49 AM -- Long Bill Briefing with the JBC
Representative Gardner announced that he would be briefing the committee about departments' budgets along with Representatives Waller and Barker. Representatives Gerou, Becker, and Levy, representing the Joint Budget Committee, were also present.
Representative Waller began with a PowerPoint slide show illustrating the budget of the Department of Corrections (DOC). The appropriations to the department total $738 million, which represents a 0.1 percent decrease from FY 2011-12. The committee asked questions about recent changes in the budget and discussion ensued about the use of private prisons. The discussion turned to current and future prison vacancy rates. In response to questions from the committee, Representative Waller spoke about his understanding of the main components of the DOC budget. He listed the factors contributing to the appropriations required by the DOC. Representative Levy stated that health care and utilities are major cost drivers for the DOC budget. The committee discussed average annual operating costs for inmates in private prisons versus those for inmates in state facilities. Discussion ensued regarding the increase in the DOC budget attributable to higher pharmaceutical costs and increased utility rates. The committee spoke about the ratio of guards to inmates and whether that ratio has changed significantly since 2004.
12:09 PM
Steve Allen, representing the Joint Budget Committee Staff, provided information about the increase in expenditures in the DOC since FY 2008-09. He agreed to provide the members of the committee with historical comparative data at a later date. Representative Gardner explained in greater detail why he and Representative Waller were participating in the budget briefing instead of simply letting the members of the Joint Budget Committee provide information. He moved on to discuss the budget for the Judicial Branch, including the increase in General Fund appropriations and full-time equivalent positions. He referred the committee to the FY 2012-13 Budget Package and Long Bill Narrative (a copy was not available for the archives) for a more detailed explanation of the General Fund increases.
12:18 PM
Carolyn Kampman, representing the Joint Budget Committee Staff, responded to questions about a $1.2 million "true-up" in the Supreme Court's budget line item. Representative Gardner continued his briefing about the Judicial Branch by focusing on phased-in judgeships from 2007 and on increased funding for pro se coordination services. He moved on to a briefing about the Department of Law. He discussed reappropriated funds related to the Lobato v. State of Colorado lawsuit concerning state funding of K through 12 education in Colorado and the state share of salaries for local district attorneys.
12:25 PM
Representative Barker briefed the committee about the budget for the Department of Public Safety. He discussed the department's General Fund and cash fund appropriations in detail. Steve Allen returned to the table to respond to questions from Representative Barker about the state's Victim Assistance and Law Enforcement (VALE) cash fund. Representative Barker continued to discuss the department's budget line items.
12:31 PM
Committee discussion turned to funding for court-appointed special advocates and a decrease in federal grant funding to the DOC. The Joint Budget Committee Staff agreed to provide additional information to the committee about federal grant funding to the DOC.
12:38 PM
The committee adjourned.