Colorado Senate Democrats continued their attempts to amend a bill that would tie up $300 million a year from the state budget for transportation. Republicans played defense and ultimately passed Senate Bill 1 postponed to a third day of debate next Tuesday.

If Republicans pass the legislation on a recorded vote with their one-seat majority, the bill would then bounce the legislation to the House, where Democrats have a majority and the votes to amend it heavily or kill it outright.

Senate Bill 1 would ask voters in November to allow the state to borrow about $3.5 billion. The repayment wouldn’t require a tax hike, but instead would divert existing state sales tax into transportation.

Chambers of commerce and other business interests from across the state hope to put another transportation on the ballot in November – one that would ask for a statewide sales tax increase of either 0.5 cents, 0.61 or a full penny.

The non-legislative request would carve out money for local governments and transit. Senate Bill 1 would pay for major projects, most of them on the Front Range and the Interstate 70 mountain corridor.

Democrats with amendments on Wednesday and Thursday pressed their partisan interests for more transit and to spread more money across the state. Moreover, the were protesting one of the bill’s sponsors,  Sen. Randy Baumgardner, R-Hot Sulphur Springs.

Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, said she was disappointed that none of the transportation ideas Democrats have offered over the last two years made it in to the Republican bill.

“I’m disappointed that the best efforts that have been made in good faith to bring about a comprehensive for the citizens of Colorado to vote on has been shut down,” she said. “I’m a big believer in process and a believer in collaboration and working together, and we didn’t have a chance to do it in committee, didn’t have a chance to do it on the floor, and I’m disappointed.”

Sen. Mike Merrifield, D-Colorado Springs, said taking 10 percent of the state sales taxes to repay the bonds is inappropriate, and he thought raising gas taxes would have been a better approach.

“Going to a sales tax, specifically, impacts my hometowns of Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, where they already raised sales taxes and invested in transportation and transit in El Paso County,” he said.

Transit continued to be a rallying cry for Democrats in different transportation funding proposals.

“We’re not going to build our way out of the congestion we’re having with roads,” said Sen. Matt Jones, D-Louisville.

Republicans, overall, have let Democrats throw their punches on amendments, but Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton, appears to be the designated slugger to hit back rhetorically.

“We’re just hearing an interesting story: It’s going to get worse if we actually build roads and bridges, instead of focusing on a lot of things that aren’t roads and bridges.” he said, characterizing the Democrats’ two-day filibuster. “