Colorado Republican lawmakers on Wednesday rejected a request to shore up the state’s cash-starved driver’s license program for those living in the country illegally.

GOP members on the legislature’s Joint Budget Committee took advantage of a momentary majority and voted against a plan to extend a supplemental funding proposal meant to keep the program’s five offices open.

JBC member Rep. Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale, said he voted against the legislation in 2013 and didn’t support the new request for money to expand it.

“It was pretty controversial, pretty partisan,” he said of the law that went into effect this summer.

Rankin said the Division of Motor Vehicles is struggling to hire enough people to handle the normal workload, so it didn’t make sense to add people to this program.

“They can continue to provide the service within the funds they have,” he said.

Democrats cried foul and said that the rejected request meant that, starting in March, only one of the five state DMV offices offering the licenses will remain able to do so. Immigrants and activists had complained that having only five offices — out of the state’s 56 — was unfair and unworkable.

“This comes as a large shock,” said Sen. Jesse Ulibarri, an Adams County Democrat who sponsored the 2013 bill.

The Denver Post estimated that the dearth of offices and the state’s decision to offer appointment-only slots to apply for the licenses meant some of the 150,000 in Colorado seeking the licenses would have to wait more than four years. With only one office offering the service, that wait could jump to more than 16 years.

The request failed 2-3 with Republican Sens. Kent Lambert — chairman of the committee — and Kevin Grantham and Rankin all voting in opposition.

The budget committee is split with three Democrats and three Republicans, but Democratic Rep. Dave Young was not present for the vote, giving the Republicans the majority.

Young was getting his legislative picture taken when the vote was taken, according to Sen. Pat Steadman, one of the Democrats on the committee.

“We are going to bunch this all into one office,” Steadman said of the vote. “That office is going to be inundated.”

State Rep. Millie Hamner, D-Dillon, put forward a vote to provide the money to the department, but the Republicans on the committee — without explanation — voted against it.

It came as a surprise to Steadman, who said he believed the committee was prepared to approve the item. “I’m really not sure about the mess we are making,” he said.

The Department of Revenue, which oversees the DMV, issued a statement saying it “will evaluate the program with the results of the JBC vote and, we will get back to (The Denver Post) and the community with additional information.”

The vote denied a DMV request for roughly $166,000 of supplemental funds to continue services at their current level past February, according to committee documents.

The nonpartisan JBC’s staff recommended to DMV officials the measure should pass.

While the committee can re-evaluate the question in the future, Ulibarri said it is unlikely after what he calls an “unprecedented” move to essentially defund the program.

He said efforts are being made to consider a legal or community recourse to keep the program going at its current level.

“I had spoken to Chairman Lambert last week, and I was assured that there would be no problems,” Ulibarri said. “In a place where your word is your bond, this is an incredible shock.”

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul