CO-04 (Special Election) See Full Big Line

(R) Greg Lopez

(R) Trisha Calvarese

90%

10%

President (To Win Colorado) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Biden*

(R) Donald Trump

80%

20%↓

CO-01 (Denver) See Full Big Line

(D) Diana DeGette*

90%

CO-02 (Boulder-ish) See Full Big Line

(D) Joe Neguse*

90%

CO-03 (West & Southern CO) See Full Big Line

(D) Adam Frisch

(R) Jeff Hurd

(R) Ron Hanks

40%

30%

20%

CO-04 (Northeast-ish Colorado) See Full Big Line

(R) Lauren Boebert

(R) Deborah Flora

(R) J. Sonnenberg

30%↑

15%↑

10%↓

CO-05 (Colorado Springs) See Full Big Line

(R) Dave Williams

(R) Jeff Crank

50%↓

50%↑

CO-06 (Aurora) See Full Big Line

(D) Jason Crow*

90%

CO-07 (Jefferson County) See Full Big Line

(D) Brittany Pettersen

85%↑

 

CO-08 (Northern Colo.) See Full Big Line

(D) Yadira Caraveo

(R) Gabe Evans

(R) Janak Joshi

60%↑

35%↓

30%↑

State Senate Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

80%

20%

State House Majority See Full Big Line

DEMOCRATS

REPUBLICANS

95%

5%

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
February 28, 2011 08:14 PM UTC

Rollie Heath Rolls Out Education Funding Proposal Today

  • 26 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: FOX 31’s Eli Stokols reports:

Heath, D-Boulder, is proposing to raise the state’s income tax from 4.63 percent currently to 5 percent, and to increase sales tax from 2.9 percent currently to 3.0 percent. Both increases would take effect January 1, 2012 and last for only three years.

Heath decided to move forward with the proposal after Gov. John Hickenlooper’s 2012 budget proposal called for $1.1 billion in cuts, including $375 in cuts to K-12 education spending.

Last week’s results of a DU analysis of Colorado’s long-term financial forecast, which concluded that revenues will not recover enough to cover the state’s growing expenditures, only added fuel to Heath’s fire.

“Our taxes and expenditures are less than virtually any state in the country,” Heath said. “Can you always cut expenses? Yes. But I think the question is: at what price?” [Pols emphasis]

Full press release after the jump: at a press conference today at noon, state Sen. Rollie Heath will unveil his plan to raise revenue for public education this year. Heath’s “Our Kids Can’t Wait” proposal calls for a ballot initiative for the voters in 2011 to raise additional revenue, hoping to offset major expected cuts to education funding in coming fiscal years.

Our understanding is that Sen. Heath’s proposal falls somewhere between more ambitious ballot initiative ideas from the Colorado Fiscal Policy Center, and the present reality of cuts without recompense. Sen. Heath says his plan stands a better chance of garnering support, but we’ve heard concern from some quarters that it won’t do enough to solve the problem.

In any event, says Sen. Heath of the status quo, “this is unacceptable to me. As a businessman, I fully understand that we need economic development in Colorado to continue climbing out of this recession. I also understand that education equals economic development, which in turn equals jobs. If we want to compete in a knowledge-based and technological world of the future, we’ll need excellence in education, and that requires funding.”  

MEDIA ADVISORY  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HEATH TO UNVEIL EDUCATION FUNDING PROPOSAL

State Senator seeks to protect Colorado’s education systems from probable future cuts

Feb. 28, 2011

DENVER, COLORADO – Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, is saying “Our kids can’t wait” for adequate education funding in Colorado. Today, Monday, Feb. 28, Heath will hold a press conference to explain his idea for an initiative that would prevent potential major cuts to education budgets of the future. For the details:

·         Today, Monday, Feb. 28, noon until 1:00 p.m.

·         West Foyer, first floor of the State Capitol, 200 E. Colfax, Denver, CO 80203

·         Sen. Rollie Heath, featured speaker

·         Sen. Heath will be available for questions from the press after his presentation

·         Contact information: (303) 866-4872 or rollie.heath.senate@state.co.us

The state cut about $260 million from its K-12 education budget in FY 2010-11. The most recent proposal for FY 2011-12 would impact K-12 by another $375 million, and it includes a $36 million general fund cut to higher education. The FY 2011-12 budget has not been finalized yet, however.

“This is unacceptable to me,” said Heath about the cuts. “As a businessman, I fully understand that we need economic development in Colorado to continue climbing out of this recession. I also understand that education equals economic development, which in turn equals jobs. If we want to compete in a knowledge-based and technological world of the future, we’ll need excellence in education, and that requires funding.”

Heath is in his third year as a member of the Senate Education committee, and was named a “Champion of Education” by the Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC) in 2008. He co-chaired and co-founded the Career Coach Program at Manual High School in Denver, and was an adjunct professor in International Trade with the University of Denver.

Tweet
Share

Comments

26 thoughts on “Rollie Heath Rolls Out Education Funding Proposal Today”

  1. As the present educational mess will drive high-tech companies out of state (some are already leaving). But I do worry if we have competing initiatives on the ballot, then they’ll all lose because people will find the choices too confusing.

    1. You’re right – if we get multiple options on the ballots, the voters will split on them and they’re all more likely to go down in defeat.  (Or contradict each other…)

      It will take most of the rest of the year to sell any change to the voters, so we can’t take too long.

      So far I’m pretty good with the CFPC proposals and am interested in hearing what the legislative review board says about them.

    2. I’m also still betting on the the CFPI stuff. I cringed when I heard Rollie say that his would be a “band-aid” and a temporary fix. I would prefer not having to do it all again in 3 years.

      It may not pass, but it will help start the conversation.

  2. Rollie was a disaster in 2002 when he ran for Governor and now his desire to see him name in print may well doom any chance of real Colorado tax reform.

    Rollie is all about Rollie.  That is why he got creamed in 2002 and that is why this proposal will go nowhere

    1. and running for Guv when he did was pretty ridiculous but now that he’s a little old state legislator don’t see why his being behind this effort is such a bad thing.

      2. So you know you’re getting the current official Republican position, hot off the presses, and rephrased so as to appear like it came from someone neutral just asking a question. In particular he doesn’t give a shit about “real Colorado tax reform” and is just searching for a way to quickly discredit any proposal to fund public schools. He’s like the David Chestnut of anonymous blog commenters.

    2. But Rollie did a creditable job, and won many fans, including some of the Republican variety, by emphasizing education with particular attention to community colleges and vo-tech schools.

      1. Rollie cleared the field by promising to self fund.  Than he refused to put up the money as he had promised.  Rollie would only campaign in front of friendly audiences and his desultory campaign likely cost the Democrats a majority in both the State House and Senate.  

        Now he has this crazy plan.

        Rollie Heath is the gift to the Republicans that just keeps on giving.  

    3. If you want to slam the proposal, find a reason to.

      I was at the presser and heard the Q&A. More than anything, it was clear that he cares about education and can’t find it in his conscience to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from important programs.

      1. I’m only going to say this once. If you put this on the ballot, Republicans will win big in 2012. We will expand our majority in the House and take the Senate, and this will be the reason.

        If Democrats are smart they will listen to Hickenlooper, who has a much better sense of what the voters will tolerate than most Democrats. You’re fools to misread the voters this way.

        I am now done giving Democrats advice.

        1. Therefore we do need to fight for increased funding for education. And if the majority of Colorado voters want us to be a 2nd world, low-tax state, at least we went down fighting for a better future for our children.

          1. If we cannot sell to the voters (IOW, show them the facts and reasons behind an increase), then the measure should probably lose.

            Regardless, this is one of those moments where everyone needs to stake out a position and promote it.  If Republicans want to argue that decimating our education system leads to a bright future, I for one am willing to hold that debate.

      1. I meant it was ridiculous in terms of having a shot.  But even when Dems don’t have a shot they have to run somebody and it’s a lot to ask of anyone to go through all that for a sure lose.  Plucky D candidates of varying quality do it in CD6 all the time. Somebody has to.

Leave a Comment

Recent Comments


Posts about

Donald Trump
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Lauren Boebert
SEE MORE

Posts about

Rep. Yadira Caraveo
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado House
SEE MORE

Posts about

Colorado Senate
SEE MORE

180 readers online now

Newsletter

Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!