Politics
Speaker-elect Bacon Taps Brown, Garcia for Powerful Budget Committee as Colorado Faces $1.6 Billion Shortfall
Incoming House Speaker Jennifer Bacon named Reps. Kyle Brown and Lorena Garcia to the Joint Budget Committee, putting a healthcare expert and a progressive tax advocate at the center of Colorado's fight over a projected $1.6 billion deficit.
DENVER â Incoming House Speaker Jennifer Bacon on Wednesday named Reps. Kyle Brown of Louisville and Lorena Garcia of Adams County as the House Democratic caucus's two representatives on the Joint Budget Committee, the six-member panel that drafts Colorado's annual spending plan.
The appointments, announced by the Denver Democrat, come as the JBC prepares to confront a projected $1.6 billion general-fund shortfall in the 2027-28 budget, driven largely by Medicaid costs. Bacon said Brown's background in healthcare policy will be critical to that work.
"Reps. Brown and GarcÃa are dedicated lawmakers, and I know they'll work hard to protect critical funding and programs that working families need to get ahead," Bacon said in a statement.
The committee is composed of two members from the House majority, two from the Senate majority, and one from each chamber's minority party. House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, a Republican, announced Thursday that Rep. Rick Taggart of Grand Junction will remain his caucus's representative on the panel. Taggart has served three years on the committee. Senate Republicans have yet to name their representative; Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Brighton has held that seat for four years.
The 2026 election guaranteed at least two new members on the panel. Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat, was elected state treasurer last week, and Rep. Emily Sirota of Denver, who won a Senate seat, was appointed to the JBC by Senate Democrats last week. Sirota served four years on the committee while in the House. Sen. Judy Amabile, a Boulder Democrat, was reelected to the budget panel and has served two years. Because committee leadership rotates between chambers and Sirota chaired the JBC during the 2026 session from her House post, Amabile is expected to serve as chair for the 2027 term.
Brown joined the JBC in November 2025 after Rep. Shannon Bird of Westminster resigned to focus on an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 8. Garcia will serve on the committee for the first time.
Bacon said Garcia's selection was driven in part by her work on Amendment 87, the graduated income tax measure voters approved last week. Garcia is CEO of the Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition, founded in 2019, which was a major backer of the amendment.
"Democrats deliver real results, and the passage of Amendment 87 and Proposition NN means we can drive more dollars to our K-12 schools, healthcare and childcare programs," Bacon said. "Rep. Garcia saw the potential of Amendment 87 early, and her new role on the JBC is critical as we implement a more progressive and equitable tax code."
Bacon noted that Democrats now hold the largest House majority in 90 years, a shift that gives the caucus greater leverage as it shapes the state's spending priorities.
"I'm certain Reps. Brown and GarcÃa will work closely with our members, key stakeholders and our neighbors to make thoughtful and strategic investments," she said.
The full JBC roster will be complete once Senate Republicans announce their choice.