As Chair of the Routt County Republicans I felt an obligation to respond to Rep. Meghan Lukens and Sen. Dylan Roberts commentaries about the recent legislative special session.

I would kindly remind people the Biden administration increased the national debt from 2021-2025 by $4.7 trillion through legislation and executive actions, as reported by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

There is a script most Colorado legislators will focus on regarding the “One Big Beautiful Bill”…blame, rather than be humble and recognize it is the legislators “J-O-B”, as they are responsible for the budget regardless who is President.

The governor and Colorado legislators knew before the OBBB was passed what the risks were to plan for, since Colorado’s tax code is written to mostly mirror federal law, and must be balanced each year. I encourage voters to read the OBBB, and be informed as we head into 2026 elections, and realize the OBBB benefits you, not Colorado taxes/fees.

I decided to look at Colorado’s budget the last 20 years and turned to the Common Sense Institute, a Greenwood Village-based nonpartisan research organization. I learned Colorado government spending has outpaced inflation and population growth.

Adjusted for inflation, government appropriations per Coloradan increased by 35% from FY05-FY25, growing from $5,140 to $6,924. In FY26 it will increase by 8.9% or $617 per Coloradan. C2ER states the cost of living in Colorado is roughly 13% higher than the nation, housing costs are 14% higher, grocery prices are 2% higher.

What surprised me was the Health Care Policy and Financing’s (HCPF) budget increased by 429% from $3B to $15.9B and its share of the total budget rose from 22% to 37%.

HCPF accounted for 43% of new spending between FY24-FY25. HCPF is now the single largest slice of Colorado’s budget. I was concerned over how Ms. Lukens is proud to restore Medicaid services to 10,000 patients in Planned Parenthood, which can be funded by private donations.

Ms. Lukens HB25-1085 legislation seems redundant when the OBBB has a fund of $50 billion titled “Rural Health Transformation Program” and according to the Colorado Association of Health Plans Colorado is anticipated to received $100M to support rural hospitals.

In fact, per NPR, independent rural hospitals are increasingly joining clinically integrated networks, collaborative groups that allow them to avoid selling out to larger health systems while sharing resources to save money and improve patient care.

Congressman Jeff Crank, a republican, stated at a forum of Colorado congressional legislators: “The only people that will get thrown off of health care are the people who refuse to go to work 20 hours a week.

He called the OBBB “a good bill” that cuts taxes and should prompt the state to trim spending.

Colorado’s Congressional Republicans, along with Republicans in the state legislature, claim the budget issues are because the state’s Democratic majority has overspent. “They have accelerated spending. It’s out of control, and it’s been out of control for a number of years,” said Crank. “What should they really do? Maybe try and find some spending to cut.”

What has been stated about the OBBB by the Trump administration is the OBBB is not for “billionaires,” rather delivers the largest middle and working-class tax cut in U.S. history. The legislation will put more than $10,000 a year back in the pockets of hardworking families.

The tax cuts and economic growth will increase the take-home pay for a family of four by $10,900. In Colorado the anticipated benefits are $4,500 to $8,100 increase in wages, and 122,000 jobs protected. A typical family with two children in Colorado can expect to see higher take-home pay of about $8,100 to $11,900, according to projections by the Trump administration.

The Trump administration stresses there will be no cuts to Medicaid for those who rely on it — pregnant women, children, seniors, people with disabilities, and low-income families. The OBBB does remove illegal aliens, enforces work requirements, and protects Medicaid for the truly vulnerable.

Ms. Lukens failed to include the fact that Medicaid cuts in the OBBB do not go into effect until January 2027. In addition, Medicare has not been touched in the OBBB, absolutely nothing in the bill reduces spending on Medicare benefits. Rather, the bill safeguards and protects these programs for eligible Americans.

What made me pause the most was Ms. Lukens focus on Proposition MM for families earning over $300,000 by limiting state income tax deductions. That will punish the middle class. Also, Ms. Lukens statement regarding reallocating wolf funds to healthcare was also questionable.

I personally heard from ranchers at the Routt County Fair that the reimbursements for their livestock kills are challenging and being questioned by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, even when they provide documented evidence. My feedback to both legislators is the wolf program should be unfunded and abolished.

The political rhetoric is high and emotional, and I hope I bring clarity in order to focus on people-over-party on both sides of the aisle.

I am willing to own my statements once the true results of the OBBB are in and the rhetoric is not hyperbole. Republicans are passionate about not relying on the government and more taxes.

Heather DeVos is the chair of the Routt County Republicans.