A new helicopter to fight wildfires. A boost in state employee pay. More money for schools.
Rachel Zenzinger
Posted inSocial Services
Colorado lawmakers to consider $5 million proposal to target youth homelessness after current programs fall short
On a typical day in Colorado, there are about 600 homeless children and 262 homeless young adults ages 18 to 24
Posted inColoradans, Education, Equity, News, Politics and Government
“Everybody has a second job”: Low pay leaves rural Colorado teachers struggling
It was November, and Casey Cunningham had a decision to make: She could pay her car registration or buy holiday gifts. Cunningham was already delinquent on her student loan payments. After shelling out for her rent, car and utilities, she was left with less than $1,000 to cover all of her other expenses. The third-grade […]
Posted inColoradans, Education, Equity, News
“We are their parent”: Proposal calls for free college tuition for Colorado children in foster care
Charis Glatthar became a foster kid at age 14, then lived in 14 homes in four years. She lost track of how many schools she attended. When Glatthar aged out of the child welfare system, she hoped she could go to college, but had no money and no clue about how to apply for financial […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Steve Fenberg selected as next president of the Colorado Senate
Colorado Senate Democrats on Wednesday selected Sen. Steve Fenberg to be the chamber’s next president, a position in which the Boulder lawmaker will help steer the direction of the entire legislature. Fenberg had been serving as the Senate majority leader, the No. 2 position in the chamber. He was elected president by acclamation, without a […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Colorado lawmakers want to tweak how at-risk students are counted amid broader school-funding overhaul
State lawmakers are looking to tweak how Colorado distributes money to help school districts support their neediest students, fearing that the current definition of “at-risk,” a measure used to determine funding, is no longer accurate. Tens of millions of dollars could be on the line. The state uses free and reduced-price lunch sign-ups to help […]
Posted inNews, Politics and Government
Despite partisan rhetoric at the Colorado Capitol, just 4.4% of bills this year passed along purely party lines
A record 504 bills introduced in the Colorado legislature became law this year, and 94% of them had at least one Republican vote. And half of the 39 Republicans in the state House and Senate voted for 58% of those bills, according to a Colorado Sun analysis. That’s despite a third year of Democratic rule […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado Democrats’ big health insurance bill was amended 21 times. Here’s how it has changed.
It was a public option bill, and then it wasn’t. It required the health care industry to cut costs by 20% at one point, but now that figure has been slashed by a quarter. For weeks, the legislation threatened doctors with fines and licensing consequences if they didn’t participate in the initiative, but now physicians […]
Posted inEconomy, Education, News, Politics and Government
Millions more for Colorado K-12 schools? Lawmakers seek court opinion first.
Democratic lawmakers are asking the Colorado Supreme Court to decide whether a proposed tax change that could generate millions for K-12 education is constitutional. Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights typically requires voter approval for tax increases. This proposal would gradually increase local school district property taxes without a vote under the premise that voters a […]
Posted inCOVID, Education, News, Politics and Government
How Colorado is changing standardized tests for elementary and middle school students this year — and why
The Colorado Measures of Academic Success, which is administered to students in grades three through eight, will look a lot different this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. That’s thanks to House Bill 1161, which is the result of a legislative compromise reached between testing opponents and proponents at the Colorado Capitol. Gov. Jared Polis […]