Less than twelve hours after a marathon debate on the state budget, the Colorado House of Representatives on Thursday passed the 2021-22 budget on a near party-line vote.

The House on Wednesday spent twelve hours considering over 150 potential amendments to Senate Bill 21-205, ultimately agreeing on 18 that added $55.4 million in spending to the $34.1 billion budget crafted by the Joint Budget Committee. Ahead of final passage on Thursday morning, all three of the chamber’s JBC members praised elements of the Long Appropriations Bill.

Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, focused on restoring cuts to essential programs, delivering a 3% raise for state employees, decreasing prison beds and making “historic” investments in higher education. Rep. Kim Ransom, R-Littleton, praised the money the budget put into the general fund reserve and the decision to move the state’s TABOR reserve to almost entirely cash from a portfolio that previously included a number of state buildings.

Rep. Julie McCluskie rounded out comments from JBC members by urging the chamber to vote in support of the long bill.

“I really want your vote on this budget to demonstrate to the people outside of this building that yes, we do work together; that yes, we do hear each other,” she said.

That appeal largely fell on deaf ears. Minority Leader Hugh McKean of Loveland was the only Republican to vote in support of the budget.

“There are things I disagree with — there are deep disagreements, but we have a constitutional responsibility to go do the work of the state,” McKean said. “I’ll vote for this budget because we have to do the work of the state.”

Despite Ransom’s praise for the long bill, she was one of 23 Republicans who voted against it while McKean joined 40 House Democrats in backing the measure. That vote marked a stark departure from the Senate’s deliberations on the Long Appropriations Bill last week, which yielded a vote of 32-1.

Unlike Ransom, the other GOP members who stood up to speak on the budget ahead of the vote on Thursday were not complimentary.

“This is, in my opinion, not a true reflection of the priorities of the people of this state,” said Rep. Colin Larson.

The Littleton Republican’s sentiments matched those of Republican Reps. Ron Hanks of Penrose, Richard Holtorf of Akron, Matt Soper of Delta and Dave Williams of Colorado Springs, who each said they had issues with the substance of the bill.

Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, R-Watkins, took his criticism in a different direction, knocking the process by which the budget was developed.

“I have concerns about the process, how things get rubber stamped in this legislature. I’m told that I’m supposed to bow to the JBC,” he said, a comment which drew a rebuke from Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “We got this draft budget from the JBC that we should be fine tuning, and we rubber stamp it.”

The long bill now heads back to the JBC after clearing the House on a 41-23 vote. The budget panel is set to serve as the conference committee and reconcile the differences between the budget passed by the House and Senate.

The House on Wednesday adopted 12 of the 14 amendments approved by the Senate, but rejected the other two and added on six amendments of their own.

The panel will also have to decide where the money to pay for the measures placed into the long bill by amendment will come from. Senate JBC members told their colleagues funding for amendments would come out of the state’s general fund reserve while House JBC members indicated amendments would be paid for out of a pot of $50 million set aside to fund bills that pass this session.