Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Date:01/27/2014
ATTENDANCE
Time:02:02 PM to 07:02 PM
Buckner
X
Court
*
Place:HCR 0112
Everett
*
Fields
*
This Meeting was called to order by
Holbert
X
Representative Hamner
McNulty
X
Murray
*
This Report was prepared by
Pettersen
X
Lisa Gezelter
Priola
X
Wilson
X
Young
X
Peniston
X
Hamner
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
HB14-1076
HB14-1048
HB14-1085		Amended, Referred to Appropriations
Postponed Indefinitely
Referred to Appropriations


02:03 PM -- HB14-1076

Representative Hamner, Chair, called the meeting to order. Representative Peniston, co-sponsor, introduced House Bill 14-1076 which creates the early childhood quality incentive program within the Department of Education. She explained that parents, in choosing preschools, use quality ratings to choose the best fit for their children, and that state officials need to ensure that children in the Colorado Preschool Program are enrolled in high-quality programs. Representative Duran, co-sponsor, discussed the fiscal impact of the bill. The co-sponsors responded to questions from the committee.

The following people testified on the bill:

02:11 PM -- Walt Cooper, representing Cheyenne Mountain School District, Colorado Association of School Executives, Colorado Association of School Boards, Colorado Education Association, and Pikes Peak Alliance, testified in opposition the bill. Mr. Cooper responded to questions from the committee.

02:20 PM -- Catherine McCarty, representing Clayton Early Learning, testified in support of the bill.

02:24 PM -- Geri Grimes, representing Hope Center and Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, testified in support of the bill.

02:26 PM -- Susan Rider, Representing Little Friends Learning Center, testified in support of the bill.

02:29 PM -- Chris Miller, representing Denver Early Childhood Council, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Miller responded to questions from the committee.

02:36 PM -- Kathryn Hammerbeck, representing Early Childhood Education Association and her own childcare center which receives funding from the Colorado Preschool Program, testified in support of the bill.

02:38 PM -- Gladys Wilson, representing Qualistar Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Wilson responded to questions from the committee.

02:46 PM -- Bill Jaeger, representing Early Childhood Initiatives at the Colorado Children's Campaign, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Jaeger responded to questions from the committee.


02:50 PM

Representative Peniston explained Amendment L.001 (Attachment A).

14HseEd0127AttachA.pdf14HseEd0127AttachA.pdf
BILL:HB14-1076
TIME: 02:54:39 PM
MOVED:Peniston
MOTION:Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment A). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Court
VOTE
Buckner
Court
Everett
Fields
Holbert
McNulty
Murray
Pettersen
Priola
Wilson
Young
Peniston
Hamner
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


02:57 PM

Representative Peniston offered closing remarks in support of the bill. Representative Duran offered closing remarks in support of the bill.

Representatives Duran and Peniston responded to questions from the committee. Mr. Miller was recalled to respond to questions from the committee. Ms. Hammerbeck was recalled to respond to questions from the committee.
BILL:HB14-1076
TIME: 03:12:59 PM
MOVED:Peniston
MOTION:Refer House Bill 14-1076, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 7-5, with one member excused.
SECONDED:Young
VOTE
Buckner
Yes
Court
Yes
Everett
No
Fields
Yes
Holbert
No
McNulty
No
Murray
Excused
Pettersen
Yes
Priola
No
Wilson
No
Young
Yes
Peniston
Yes
Hamner
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 5 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


03:14 PM

Representative Hamner called a brief recess in order to transition to the next bill.


03:22 PM -- HB14-1048

Representative Priola, sponsor, presented House Bill 14-1048, which prohibits public universities from denying religious student groups the use of campus facilities based on their leadership selection criteria.

The following people testified on the bill:

03:27 PM -- David Hacker, representing the Alliance Defending Freedom, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Hacker responded to questions from the committee.

03:33 PM -- Yvonne Williams, representing Real Choices, a Christian organization at the University of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Williams told the committee about the experiences of the organization as they relate to the bill.

03:37 PM -- Matt Boettger, representing St. Thomas Acquinas Catholic Center at the University of Colorado and Religious Campus Organizations, an umbrella group consisting of representatives from 35 religious groups on campus, testified in support of the bill.

03:41 PM -- Scott Powell, a student representing St. Thomas Acquinas Catholic ministry at the University of Colorado, testified in support of the bill.

03:45 PM -- Beth Santo, a student representing Fellowship of Catholic Students (FOCUS), part of the St. Thomas Acquinas Catholic Center at the University of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. She described the work of the missionaries in her group.

The three witnesses from the St. Thomas Acquinas Catholic Center responded to questions from the committee.

04:04 PM -- Brian Walsh from the American Religious Freedom Program in Washington, D.C., representing himself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Walsh responded to questions from the committee.

04:09 PM -- Theresa Sidebotham, representing the Christian Legal Society, testified in support of the bill. She asked for the removal of the word "solely." Ms. Sidebotham responded to questions from the committee.

04:23 PM -- Nathan Woodliff-Stanley, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Woodliff-Stanley responded to questions from the committee.

04:38 PM -- Pamela Hirschman, representing the Anti-Defamation League, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Hirschman responded to questions from the committee.

04:48 PM -- Jayne Schindler, representing herself, testified in support of the bill.

04:49 PM -- Christopher Schaefbauer, representing himself, testified in opposition to the bill.

04:54 PM -- Christopher Hawkey, representing the University of Colorado's Chancellor's Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Hawkey responded to questions from the committee.

04:58 PM -- Daniela Enriquez, representing herself, testified in opposition to the bill.

05:03 PM -- Caitlin Pratt, representing herself as a student at the University of Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill.

05:08 PM -- Scott Weised, representing himself as a non-theistic tolerizer, testified in favor of the bill.
BILL:HB14-1048
TIME: 05:11:24 PM
MOVED:Priola
MOTION:Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment B). The motion passed without objection.

14HseEd0127AttachB.pdf14HseEd0127AttachB.pdf
SECONDED:Holbert
VOTE
Buckner
Court
Everett
Fields
Holbert
McNulty
Murray
Pettersen
Priola
Wilson
Young
Peniston
Hamner
YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


05:13 PM

Ms. Sidebotham was recalled to answer Representative Priola's questions about universities' "all-comers" policies. Ms. Sidebotham responded to questions from other members of the committee. Mr. Walsh was recalled to answer questions from Representative Priola and the committee.


05:21 PM

Representative Priola offered closing comments to the bill. The committee members offered final comments.
BILL:HB14-1048
TIME: 05:28:43 PM
MOVED:Priola
MOTION:Refer House Bill 14-1048, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion failed on a vote of 6-7.
SECONDED:McNulty
VOTE
Buckner
No
Court
No
Everett
Yes
Fields
No
Holbert
Yes
McNulty
Yes
Murray
Yes
Pettersen
No
Priola
Yes
Wilson
Yes
Young
No
Peniston
No
Hamner
No
YES: 6 NO: 7 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL

BILL:HB14-1048
TIME: 05:29:44 PM
MOVED:Court
MOTION:Postpone House Bill 14-1048 indefinitely. The motion passed on a vote of 7-5, with one member excused.
SECONDED:Young
VOTE
Buckner
Yes
Court
Yes
Everett
No
Fields
Yes
Holbert
No
McNulty
No
Murray
Excused
Pettersen
Yes
Priola
No
Wilson
No
Young
Yes
Peniston
Yes
Hamner
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 5 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




05:43 PM -- HB14-1085

Representative Hamner thanked the witnesses for staying late to testify. Representative Fields, sponsor, presented House Bill 14-1085, which would allocate moneys from the State Education Fund to adult education programs. The bill creates the adult education and literacy grant program to provide state moneys for adult education programs that participate in workforce development partnerships. Representative Fields responded to questions from the committee.

The following people testified on the bill:

05:52 PM -- Chaer Robert, representing the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Robert responded to questions from the committee.

05:55 PM -- Frank Waterous, representing the Bell Policy Center, testified in support of the bill. He distributed his testimony in writing (Attachment C). Mr. Waterous responded to questions from the committee.

14HseEd0127AttachC.pdf14HseEd0127AttachC.pdf

06:08 PM -- Margaret Kirkpatrick, representing the Colorado Department of Education, testified for information only. Ms. Kirkpatrick responded to questions from the committee.

06:15 PM -- Shirley Penn, representing the Colorado Adult Education Professional Association (CAEPA) and Cargill Workplace Education, testified in support of the bill.

06:18 PM -- Gaye Horne, representing the Spring Institute, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Horn described two of her students' success stories.

06:20 PM -- Myrna Ann Adkins, representing the Spring Institute, testified in support of the bill.

The two witnesses from the Spring Institute responded to questions from the committee.

06:24 PM -- Laurie Harvey, representing the Center for Work, Education, and Employment (CWEE), testified in support of the bill.

06:28 PM -- Kat Bradley-Bennett, representing St. Vrain Community Adult Education, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Bradley-Bennett responded to questions from the committee.


06:34 PM

Representative Fields offered closing comments to the bill. Representative Fields responded to questions from the committee. Josh Abram, Legislative Council Staff, came to the table to respond to questions relating to the bill's fiscal note. Ms. Kirkpatrick was recalled to respond to questions from the committee. Committee discussion ensued.


06:47 PM

Mr. Abrams and Ms. Kirkpatrick continued to respond to questions from the committee. Representative Fields responded to questions from the committee. Mr. Waterous was recalled to respond to questions from the committee.


06:55 PM

Committee members offered closing comments to the bill.
BILL:HB14-1085
TIME: 07:00:43 PM
MOVED:Fields
MOTION:Refer House Bill 14-1085 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 8-5.
SECONDED:Peniston
VOTE
Buckner
Yes
Court
Yes
Everett
No
Fields
Yes
Holbert
No
McNulty
Yes
Murray
No
Pettersen
Yes
Priola
No
Wilson
No
Young
Yes
Peniston
Yes
Hamner
Yes
Final YES: 8 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


07:05 PM

The committee adjourned.