preschool

Gov. John Hickenlooper presented his budget for 2012-13 today, and there was some good news, largely because of the slowly improving economy.

"Because of the hard work we did together in 2011 and 2012, the State's financial position is markedly improved," the governor said in a letter to the Joint Budget Committee. "Our plan reflects cautious optimism for Colorado's economy and a prudent, sustainable approach to managing the state's budget."

Here are some highlights as we see them:

The Bell Policy Center board of directors has endorsed the Bright Colorado initiative to temporarily return state tax rates to the level they were in 1999 while the state searches for a more permanent solution to its long-term structural deficit.

Consultants release cost comparisons for health care reform proposals; P-20 Education Council puts price tags on five education reforms; Carbon tax amendment proposed for ???????08 ballot; Executive branch department budgets now posted on governor????????s website; Treasurer developing interactive state tax website

???These recommended reforms are a needed step forward. For example, the P-20 Council wants to fully fund the Colorado Preschool and Kindergarten Program. Right now, it serves only about two-thirds of the kids we know are eligible,??? said Frank Waterous, senior policy analyst for the Bell Policy Center.

This special issue of The Opportunity News is the Bell???s annual summary of wins and losses in the legislative session for bills related to opportunity.

The Colorado Legislature and Gov. Bill Ritter worked together this year to pass dozens of bills that improve the state of opportunity for thousands of Coloradans, says Wade Buchanan, president of the Bell Policy Center. "The 2007 session will be remembered as a strong push for opportunity," Buchanan said. "Legislators worked hard to pass bills that prepare our kids to compete in the global economy and help families join and stay in the middle class."

The boards of the Bell Policy Center and the Bell Action Network have endorsed Gov. Bill Ritter's proposal to stabilize school district mill levies to address education funding and tax fairness issues. The boards also endorsed the governor's plan for using state money freed up by the mill levy stabilization to boost preschool and kindergarten programs.

Articles: Colorado economy strong at mid-year, Early childhood intervention pays off, Pre-kindergarten expulsion rate twice K-12's, New data highlights the achievement gap, Southern states offer advice on adult training, Equal coverage for mental health saves money, Craig, Colo., makes it easy to call for help, Strategies to raise household savings, How to build a real ownership society

Articles: Treating Mom???s mental health helps the kids, Early childhood education good for economic development, Colorado Preschool Program ranks in the middle of the pack, Well-being improves for kids , Study shows binge drinking rising among girls, Literacy gaps persist through college, Low- and middle-income families use credit cards as a safety net, CBPP: Making federal tax cuts permanent will benefit the rich, What???s behind the trend in pension freezes?, Incentives promote savings . . .

Articles: Legislature considers full plate of opportunity-related education bills; Free school breakfasts help hungry kids start the day fed and ready to learn; Eligible citizens denied services due to new identification requirements; Earned Income Tax Credit payouts stimulate local economies; www.thebell.org gets a functional overhaul