Education

The number of working families living in poverty in Colorado increased by 16,000 from 2004 to 2012 – a jump of almost 50 percent, the Bell Policy Center reports in "Measuring Opportunities for Working Families." In addition, the portion of all Colorado working families living in poverty increased from one in 17 to one in 12 over the same period.

By Ed Sealover
Denver Business Journal

Does a bill need business groups to support it to be considered a pro-business bill? Or are backers' statements that a new law is needed to help Colorado companies good enough?

House Bill 1005, sponsored by Aurora Democratic state Reps. Rhonda Fields and John Buckner, is one of those rare pieces of legislation that sits at a crossroads of those questions.

The measure passed out of the House Education Committee by a 12-1 vote Monday and is on to the House Appropriations Committee.

Senior policy analyst Frank Waterous testified in favor of House Bill 13-1005 today before the House Education Committee.

This bill would create a pilot program that would combine adult basic-education coursework with post-secondary skills training – an effort aimed at helping low-literacy working-age adult students "acquire the educational and technical skills they need for successful participation in the 21^st century workforce," Waterous testified. The pilot program is based on a successful education model used in other states.

Senate Bill 33, the proposal that would allow qualified undocumented Colorado high school graduates to pay in-state college tuition, will be heard today before the Senate Education Committee.

The Bell has been a supporter of this effort from the beginning, for a simple reason: We believe all of our state's qualified high school graduates deserve to be able to go to college at an affordable in-state rate.

The General Assembly opened its 69th session on Wednesday, a mostly ceremonial day that featured speeches from the majority and minority leaders outlining their broad goals and policy objectives for the 120-day session.

By Tim Hoover
The Denver Post

Twenty years after Coloradans approved the most restrictive tax and expenditure limitation in the country, the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights has reshaped state government and sparked debate on similar proposals across the country and now is under greater assault than ever before.

Economists gave state lawmakers good news about Colorado's economy and state revenues in their quarterly forecasts to the Joint Budget Committee today.

Colorado's economy is growing at a steady pace and is outperforming the U.S. economy. In fact, it was growing faster during the summer months than previously thought. The data used for the September forecast has been revised upward, showing stronger growth in jobs and income, according to Natalie Mullis, the Legislative Council Staff's chief economist.

Last week, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education released its master plan for 2012-17. We are very pleased that the key goals articulated in the plan align well with the Bell Policy Center's opportunity agenda, and we commend the commission on this important work.

By Amy Gillentine
Colorado Springs Business Journal

The fiscal cliff is looming larger, and the country actually might endure a series of draconian cuts and tax increases – something that was never supposed to happen.

When Congress passed a law in August 2011 requiring $1.2 trillion in across-the-board cuts – half from the Department of Defense – it was supposed to serve as a wake-up call for compromise to get the national debt under control.

Expanding opportunity in Colorado

The Bell believes Colorado should be a state of opportunity – a place where people can build better lives and recapture the American dream. That belief guides our research and analysis and helps us develop recommendations for public policy. Here is a partial list of recent reports and other work aimed at informing and engaging Coloradans – and increasing opportunity. All of our publications are available at www.bellpolicy.org. Specific links are provided below.