It’s now up to Gov. John Hickenlooper to give his final say on the 2015-16 state budget.

The $26.4 billion budget, as contained in Senate Bill 15-234, got its final approval from the Senate Friday. The vote was to accept the compromise version proposed by the Joint Budget Committee, acting as the bill’s conference committee. The budget was re-passed on a 31-2 vote, with Sens. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder and Matt Jones, D-Louisville, voting no. The House had voted on the compromise on Thursday, re-passing the bill on a 45-20 vote.

A dozen House and Senate amendments made it onto the budget’s final version. That included $300,000 for the Adult Agricultural Leadership Program, $4 million for eyeglass materials for low-income children and a footnote that asks the Department of Transportation to work with local communities on the economic benefit of improving Highway 50 between Salida and the Kansas state line.

Hickenlooper has 10 days to sign the bill. He does have line-item veto authority on the budget, the only bill in which he has that authority.

– Marianne@coloradostatesman.com