House Bill 1215 would ban hospitals from charging facility fees for most outpatient visits, ending what proponents say is an unnecessary add-on that boosts hospitals’ bottom line
Emily Sirota
Posted inColoradans, Education, News
Democrats formalize plan for expanded preschool, early childhood department. But will Colorado have enough teachers?
A nearly 500-page bill released Friday fills in new details about the Department of Early Childhood as it launches and prepares to oversee Colorado’s expansion of preschool in fall 2023. The Democrat-backed bill reflects close to a year of planning among lawmakers, state agencies, the governor’s office, early childhood providers and advocates, and parents — […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado election workers could soon get new protections against threats, doxxing
Threatening a Colorado election worker in an attempt to keep them from doing their job or in response to them performing their official duties would be a crime under a bill introduced by Democrats in the state legislature. House Bill 1273 would also prohibit people from publicly posting the personal information — such as their […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
More competition means more spending in Colorado school board elections this year
More cash is flowing into Colorado school board contests this year than in previous election cycles as teacher unions, charter school advocates and wealthy individual donors open their purse strings to influence closely contested races across the state. The spending is part of a national trend of contentious school board elections, super-charged by COVID-19, the […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado students will take modified CMAS exams this spring following federal approval
Colorado students in grades three through 11 will take state standardized assessments this spring, with students testing in either English language arts or math depending on their grade level, following the U.S. Department of Education’s partial approval of a state plan for assessments. Under the approved part of the plan, students in third, fifth and […]
Posted inCOVID, Education, News, Politics and Government
Colorado plan to scale back CMAS testing moves forward. Kids would test in literacy or math, but not both.
By Jason Gonzales, Chalkbeat Colorado A proposal to significantly scale back Colorado’s standardized school testing this year cleared its first hurdle Friday after proponents and opponents came together in an overwhelming show of support. The bill cleared the House Education Committee with a bipartisan 8-1 vote after sponsors decided not to pursue their original proposal […]
Posted inCOVID, Education, News
Colorado districts prepare for CMAS testing amid uncertainty about federal waiver
Reluctant Colorado school districts are preparing to administer standardized tests amid uncertainty about whether the state can get any relief from federal testing requirements. Last Monday, federal education officials directed states to proceed with the administration of standardized tests, known here as the Colorado Measures of Academic Success or CMAS, because the tests will help […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado governor, legislature will decide whether students take standardized tests during coronavirus
The question of whether Colorado should press forward with standardized testing for elementary and middle school students in 2021 despite the coronavirus pandemic is gearing up to be one of the biggest education battles at the statehouse this year. The debate is also serving as a proxy war for the longtime fight over the effectiveness […]
Posted inBusiness, COVID, Crime and Courts, Education, Environment, Health, News, Politics and Government
Chaos and compromise: Colorado’s coronavirus legislative session ends with a flurry of big bills
The Colorado Capitol was mostly empty as the state legislature took a two-month coronavirus pause this spring. The work, though, didn’t actually stop. Behind the scenes, mostly via video calls on Zoom, lawmakers were figuring out how to deal with a host of new issues related to the pandemic, chief among them: how to balance […]
Posted inCOVID, News, Politics and Government
Here’s the nuance behind Colorado Democrats’ effort to eliminate 9 tax breaks, pump $1.6 billion into state coffers
To generate money for the coronavirus-depleted state budget, Democratic state lawmakers in Colorado want to slash or change nine tax breaks to generate $1.6 billion in revenue over the next four years. House Bill 1420, introduced Monday with just days left in the 2020 lawmaking term, would revoke tax breaks included in the federal stimulus […]