Like slacker students who flunked a course and had to make it up in summer school, Colorado state lawmakers who were summoned back to the Capitol last month — to patch a gaping hole in the current state budget — knew they had gathered under a stigma. Convened by Gov. Jared Polis, they sullenly filed into the building with their heads down.

It was nothing to be proud of. And when they had wrapped up the session days later, there was little to celebrate.

They knew they were doing makeup work, atoning for their behavior during the regular session — and the session before that, and the one before that. And while they tried to blame Colorado’s fiscal straits on some of the other kids in class — the president and the Republican Congress — our state’s ruling Democrats knew, or should have known, they had only themselves to blame for bloating the state budget year after year.

They had been on a years-long spending spree worthy of drunken sailors on leave. The money to pay for it all finally ran out thanks to last spring’s congressional tax cuts, which also lowered Colorado’s tax take. So, lawmakers and the governor had to go scrounging under the couch cushions for spare change to bridge the budget gap.

Hence, no high-fives, no jubilation as they exited the statehouse on Aug. 26.

Now, here’s the bad news: It’s not going to get better anytime soon.

As detailed in an in-depth report last week by our news affiliate Colorado Politics, state economists last Monday released data pointing to a weakened economic outlook for Colorado and continued risks for a near-term recession. Meaning, less tax revenue collected by the state — and more budget deficits to come.

The gloomy forecast, presented to the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee, makes clear that even though the state is projected to take in about $700 million more next year than will be collected in the current fiscal year, it’ll still wind up under water in next year’s budget. Lawmakers budgeting for 2026-27 will have $116 million less to spend than they did in 2025-26 after they fill a $306.7 million hole in the state’s statutory reserve and make good on TABOR refunds from 2024, among other obligations.

And, as the analysis by Colorado Politics points out, that’s not even accounting for the added cost from anticipated increases in the state’s Medicaid caseload, or other budgetary pressures.

Economic downturns happen. So do outright recessions. But riding them out would be easier if our state’s budget hadn’t grown so much in the first place. Our state government has to dig its way out of a hole of its own making. 

From the expansion of Medicaid to the extension of costly collective bargaining to tens of thousands of state government employees, our legislature and governor have run up the taxpayers’ tab. And when our elected leaders fall short, they pilfer every fund and employ every accounting trick to paper over their deficits — rather than simply cut back and live within their means.

Which is to say there’s a good chance the legislature will be back in summer school — er, special session — next year. And once again, they’ll blame everyone but themselves.