Gov. Bill Ritter on Thursday signed the $18.2 billion state budget, a plan that relies on cuts to schools and the repeal of many business tax breaks, The Durango Herald reports.

“It’s been a very, very difficult budget year, and there’s no saying anything other than that,” Ritter said.

The plan uses “shared sacrifice” to get to a balanced budget, which is required by the state constitution, Ritter said.