This year, Republicans accused the Democratic majority at the state Capitol of political overreach, stalled contentious legislation for hours and called for recall elections. But the rancor belies the fact that at least one Republican lawmaker supported all but 19 of the 460 bills approved, meaning 96% won bipartisan support. The broad agreement is not […]
full-day kindergarten
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s kindergarten landscape will even out, with benefits flowing to state’s wealthiest, poorest families
A decade ago, when Colorado officials surveyed school districts about then-Gov. Bill Ritter’s big idea to put full-day kindergarten in every school, support wasn’t unanimous. School administrators in Telluride, one of the state’s wealthier resort towns, were dismissive of the full-day kindergarten priority from the governor back then, according to the survey conducted by the […]
Posted inEducation, Environment, Health, Politics and Government
Gov. Jared Polis made headway on 22% of his campaign pledges so far, Promise Tracker analysis shows
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis finished signing legislation from the 2019 session this week, and now he owes the General Assembly a big thank you. The Democratic-led legislature sent dozens of bills to Polis’ desk that helped him make progress toward his campaign promises. A new tally from The Colorado Sun’s Promise Tracker shows the governor […]
Posted inBusiness, Politics and Government
How an obscure tax case became a $250 million political fight at the end of the legislative session
With only days left in the 2019 legislative session, Colorado lawmakers were presented with an extraordinary plea from the Polis administration: Pass a law to help the state’s Department of Revenue win an obscure corporate income tax lawsuit, or risk losing hundreds of millions of dollars to what it viewed as a tax loophole for […]
Posted inEducation, Energy, Environment, Health, Politics and Government, Transportation
Jared Polis made a lot of promises in bid for governor. Here’s his progress on the 10 biggest.
When he kicked off his gubernatorial campaign in July 2017, Jared Polis promised to campaign on “big, bold ideas.” That’s one promise he would keep In the following 16 months, Polis pitched voters on more than 100 policy ideas big and small, promising to remake health care in the state, usher in historic expansions of […]
Posted inEducation, Energy, Health, Politics and Government
At 100-day mark, Gov. Jared Polis evaluates his campaign promises and toughest moments
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis reaches the 100-day mark of his administration Thursday with plenty to celebrate, even if he didn’t deliver on one of his top campaign promises. This week, the Democrat’s top agenda item — a measure to provide state-funded, full-day kindergarten — won a key victory, and other legislation he supports is advancing […]
Posted inEducation, Politics and Government, Transportation
The $30.5 billion state budget bill is done, and transportation gets a boost
Colorado lawmakers gave final approval Friday to a $30.5 billion state budgetpackage that includes $300 million for road projects, $175 million for full-day kindergarten and a 3% pay hike for all state employees. The agreement on the spending plan that starts July 1 came after the budget writers found an extra $70 million for transportation […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Coloradans were set to get a property tax cut. Gov. Polis is mulling a workaround to stop it.
Gov. Jared Polis plans to ask lawmakers to forgo an expected statewide property tax cut this year, in a bid to stave off local budget cuts and free up state funding for other priorities. If the gambit succeeds, it would deny Colorado homeowners an estimated 3.5 percent property tax cut they otherwise would have received […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado districts are preparing quickly for full-day kindergarten, potentially increasing costs
By Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat Colorado Large Colorado school districts that collectively serve thousands of children in half-day kindergarten programs are preparing to switch to full-day programs this fall, potentially pushing up the cost of Gov. Jared Polis’ signature education initiative. Lawmakers have set aside $185 million — about 80 percent of what Polis requested — to pay […]
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, Education, Energy, Health, Politics and Government, Transportation
What the $30.5 billion Colorado state budget means for you — yes, you
The $30.5 billion state-budget package introduced Monday offers a little something for most everyone in Colorado. The state would pay for full-day kindergarten, relieving local school districts and parents of the cost. The price tag for tuition would remain flat, except at one university. All state employees would receive at least a 3 percent raise, […]