By Associated Press - Tuesday, June 20, 2017

DENVER (AP) - Colorado’s legislative budget committee has rejected a request by Gov. John Hickenlooper to keep the state energy office running at full strength past June 30.

The Colorado Energy Office loses most of its funding on July 1 because the split Legislature could not agree on a funding bill for the next fiscal year.

Hickenlooper then sought $3.1 million in a supplemental budget request. But the Joint Budget Committee voted 3-3 along party lines on Tuesday to nix the request.

Hickenlooper, a Democrat, said he’ll keep exploring “all options” to fund the office.

Colorado’s Democrat-led House wanted to keep the agency’s mandate focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency programs.

The Republican-led Senate favored an all-of-the-above energy strategy that would promote coal and nuclear.

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