Monday Churn: ASSET bill test

What's churning:

Senate Bill 11-126, which would create a form of resident tuition for undocumented students who meet certain requirements, is scheduled for a hearing in the House Education Committee at 1:30 this afternoon.

After being held on the calendar for weeks, the bill passed the Democratic-controlled Senate on a 20-15 party line vote last week. While many observers give the ASSET little chance in the Republican-controlled House, sponsor Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver, said Friday he remains hopeful he can pick up sufficient votes in House Ed, where Republicans have a 7-6 edge. Chair Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, often votes with Democrats.

Ahead of the committee hearing, two liberal research groups on Friday released a study that concluded undocumented immigrants in Colorado pay as much in taxes as they receive in public services. See the study by the Bell Policy Center and the Colorado Center on Law and Policy.

And the activist group Padres y Jovenes Unidos was mobilizing its supporters behind SB 11-126, urging them to call House Ed members and to rally at the Capitol this afternoon.

Stateline.org, a news service that covers issues in state legislatures around the nation, has an interesting backgrounder on immigration-related bills this year.

Also today, Denver Public Schools board members will meet in a work session that includes discussion of three new innovation school proposals, all in Far Northeast Denver - Denver Center for International Studies at Ford Elementary, Rachel B. Noel Arts Academy and Denver Center for International Studies at Montbello High. As part of the proposals, teachers would work "at-will" at the schools and would receive an additional $5,000 in compensation for the year. See this letter from district staff about the proposals.

The DPS board also is expected to discuss support for two initiatives filed by state Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, to raise taxes and increase funding for K-12 and higher education. And at their regular meeting on Thursday, the DPS will be asked to approve a tentative agreement with the teachers' union over "mutual consent" hiring provisions in the educator effectiveness law, also known as Senate Bill 10-191.