A Welcome Boost for Education

A measure aimed at generating up to $500 million in state revenue for school construction was unanimously approved by the House Education Committee this week. The bill will generate money from the state school lands, a class of property entrusted to the state by the federal government to fund public education. House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, who sponsored the legislation, praised the bill as a way to construct new schools and repair current buildings. “It’s tough to learn when the roof is caving in or your desk is falling through the floor,” he said. “The quality of your education shouldn’t depend on your ZIP code.” The grant program expects local schools to contribute their own matching funds into construction, but won’t be penalized if they can’t afford it. The program also recognizes the size of the school district, granting leeway to smaller districts that have little to no bonding capacity.

State lawmakers, including State Representative Joe Rice (D-Littleton), held

Military and Veterans Appreciation Day Wednesday at the State Capitol. Special guests in uniform filled the House floor and gallery, including active duty military and veterans as well as family members.

The joint session of the House and Senate was action packed with activities on the house floor, including the introduction of house joint resolution 1007 in support of our troops which was introduced by Rep. Morgan Carroll and Rep. Stella Garza-Hicks (R-Colorado Springs). The resolution passed with near unanimous support; Rep. Doug Bruce (R-El Paso County) was the sole member to vote no.