The full Colorado legislature this week began debating a $36 billion state budget proposal that, buoyed by a strong economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and a flood of federal stimulus dollars, would boost funding to K-12 and higher education, give state employees a 3% raise and expand state efforts to improve public safety and […]
state budget
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Transition Colorado’s school buses to electric
The yellow school bus encapsulates so many memories of my childhood: shivering at the street corner with the neighbors wondering when it would arrive; sharing a secret with a friend as we huddled in our two-seater; French braiding our hair and singing the school song on the way to field hockey games. These memories, however, […]
Posted inOpinion, Opinion Columns
Opinion: Support job-training programs that actually put people in better-paying jobs
As elected officials work to build a more equitable Colorado economy, they should think about a young Coloradan who recently shared her story with me. To protect her privacy, I’ll call her Rosa. Rosa was raised by a single mom, who immigrated here from Mexico and worked to the bone to support Rosa and her […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Proposition 119: Colorado voters will decide whether to raise marijuana taxes to pay for out-of-school learning
Colorado voters will decide next month whether to raise taxes on recreational marijuana to help fund a new state program aimed at providing Colorado students with out-of-school learning opportunities. The program, called Learning Enrichment and Academic Progress, or LEAP, would pay service providers, like private tutoring companies or even public school teachers looking for extra […]
Posted inEconomy, News, Politics and Government
Housing, workforce development, infrastructure: How Colorado Democrats plan to spend $3.8B in federal aid
Colorado Democrats on Monday unveiled the broad strokes of how they plan to spend $3.8 billion in federal coronavirus stimulus money being sent to state government, prioritizing affordable housing, workforce development and infrastructure projects. More than half of the money — $2 billion — will be allocated before the 2021 legislative session ends by June […]
Posted inEducation, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s 2022 budget boosts K-12 spending, reverses higher ed cuts
By Jason Gonzales and Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat Colorado Colorado’s $34.1 billion proposed state budget restores deep cuts made last year to K-12 and higher education, provides more money to help students who have traditionally struggled to complete college, and creates a substantial reserve for K-12 schools that could lay the groundwork for future reforms — if […]
Posted inEconomy, News, Politics and Government
Gov. Jared Polis wanted quick action on his $1.3 billion stimulus plan. Colorado lawmakers want more time.
Three months ago, Gov. Jared Polis put forward a $1.3 billion stimulus plan and asked Colorado lawmakers to fast-track the measures. On Thursday, the General Assembly said not so fast. Instead of inserting the governor’s November spending requests into a supplemental budget package being drafted now, the proposals will move ahead in separate legislation for […]
Posted inBusiness, Economy, Growth, Housing, News, Politics and Government
Colorado’s stagnant budget isn’t helping the shrinking middle class, report finds
Colorado’s middle class is shrinking, and the lifestyle long associated with it — home ownership, a car, college savings and occasional vacations — is getting harder to achieve. That’s been the economic trend in the state, and across the country, for decades. But new research suggests Colorado’s public investments — or lack of them — […]
Posted inGrowth, Politics and Government, Transportation
Colorado lawmakers considering new fee on gallon of gas to boost money for roads
Year after year, Colorado lawmakers in both parties make finding money for road and transit projects a top priority only to see a big deal get downsized — or more often, collapse entirely. “We are Charlie Brown and we are hoping we are going to get that football,” said state Rep. Matt Gray, a Broomfield […]
Posted inPolitics and Government
The top story in Colorado politics in 2020 — and what to expect in 2021
If you enjoy politics, 2020 didn’t disappoint. And if you don’t, it probably left your head spinning. The year started with talk about the impeachment of President Donald Trump, the Democratic presidential primary and the battle for a U.S. Senate seat in Colorado. Then, the pandemic quickly upended the political landscape — and the conversation. […]