Colorado’s general fund is taking a pounding during the pandemic. Unless Washington steps in with more aid to state and local governments, legislators are facing the challenge of cutting potentially up to $3 billion from our $12.4 billion general fund budget, affec ting K-12 education, health care, higher education and core services.

Colorado’s budget must be balanced. About 40 pe rcent of it is difficult to cut because it covers corrections, federally mandated programs, health care and other...