Bill Summary for Bill Number HB15-1027

Date: 01/26/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1027

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Votes: View-->	Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 15-1027 to the Committee on Appro	PASS

02:22 PM -- House Bill 15-1027

Representative Buckner, welcomed Representative Salazar, sponsor, to present House Bill 15-1027, which extends in-state tuition benefits at public colleges and universities in Colorado to enrolled members of 48 federally recognized Native American tribes with historic ties to Colorado. He explained the history of the bill. He discussed other groups that pay in-state tuition such as Olympic athletes training in the state, members of the Canadian military, Chinese graduate students, veterans, veterans' dependents, and dependents of employees whose companies move to Colorado, among others. Representative Salazar responded to questions from the committee.

02:27 PM

The committee recessed while technicians worked on the sound system. The Chair announced that the meeting would move to HCR 0112 and would reconvene in 15 minutes.

02:54 PM

The committee came back to order in HCR 0112.

02:55 PM -- Darius Lee Smith, representing the Denver Anti-Discrimination Office, testified in support of the bill. He discussed scholarships to Native students, and the benefits in-state tuition would provide to both students and to the institutions in which they enroll. He discussed percentages of the student bodies at various state universities that are Native American. Mr. Smith responded to questions from the committee.

03:00 PM -- Guyrene Ben, representing herself, discussed her experiences and how the bill would provide benefits to students like her. She discussed how Fort Lewis College, though available to Native students, is a liberal arts college and does not provide adequate training in the sciences. Ms. Ben responded to questions from the committee. Ms. Ben, Representative Salazar, and the committee discussed reciprocal agreements between states that allow Native students to cross state borders and still pay in-state tuition.

03:06 PM

Marshall Gover, President of the Pawnee Nation, spoke in support of the bill. He discussed the history of the Pawnee Nation, its historic territories, and treaty agreements signed by the tribe. He discussed the tribe's historic connection to land within Colorado's borders. He discussed promises of health care and education made to Indian nations, and how the Indian Health Service provides health care. He discussed the burden student loans place on Native students. He discussed his tribe's inability to assist college students with paying their tuition bills. President Gover responded to questions from the committee. The committee thanked President Gover for attending the meeting and speaking about the bill.

03:16 PM

Representative Salazar responded to the committee's questions about the bill.

03:16 PM

The committee responded to questions from President Gover. President Gover responded to additional questions from the committee.

03:20 PM -- David Weiden, representing Metropolitan State University (MSU) - Denver, testified in support of the bill. He discussed his educational experiences and the fiscal impact of the bill. He pointed out that the fiscal impact is based on self-identified Native American students, not on students actually enrolled in a tribe. He explained MSU's belief that the ability offer in-state tuition will draw new students to the state. He discussed the drop in enrollment levels of students of color experienced recently at MSU. Mr. Weiden responded to questions from the committee. Representative Salazar responded to questions from the committee. The committee discussed the fiscal note.

03:28 PM -- Josh Abram, representing Legislative Council Staff, came to the table to respond to questions about the fiscal note. He discussed the process he used to write the fiscal note and the difficulty in making projections about future enrollment. Mr. Abrams responded to questions from the committee.

03:31 PM

Earnest House, Junior, representing the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, came to the table to respond to questions from the committee.

03:34 PM -- Leslie Lovato, representing herself, testified in support of the bill. She discussed her experiences at Colorado State University (CSU). She discussed the Native American Legacy Award (NALA), which offers in-state tuition to the tribes listed in the bill. She described NALA as a school policy, not a scholarship. She pointed out that in the program's four years, the number of Native American students at the school has quadrupled. She explained that though CSU has close to 400 students who self-identify as Native American, four years ago, only 8 students were enrolled. She told the committee that CSU now has 38 enrolled tribal members among its students. She pointed out that the numbers are small, but the growth is significant. Ms. Lovato responded to questions from the committee.

03:40 PM -- Deborah Hunt, Director of American Indian Student Services at the University of Colorado Denver, testified in support of the bill. She discussed Colorado's problems recruiting, retaining, and graduating Native American students, and the successes of Native students who have come to Colorado to complete their educations.

03:45 PM -- Chenoa Francis, representing herself and Mile High Unity, spoke in favor of the bill. She discussed the fact that she was born in Colorado, but is enrolled with the Northern Navajo Tribe in Shiprock, New Mexico. She discussed Navajo sacred places. She discussed the financial need of herself and others in her position to attend colleges in Colorado. Ms. Francis responded to questions from the committee.

03:49 PM -- Matt Campbell, staff attorney with the Native American Rights Fund and the Tribal Education Departments National Assembly (TEDNA), spoke in support of the bill. He discussed the low number of students that would benefit from the bill. He pointed out that only 13 percent of Native Americans have earned a Bachelor's degree, and that 22 percent of Native Americans over the age of 25 have not finished high school. He explained that the bill will increase educational achievement among Native Americans and described his hope that the bill will help reduce the state's obligation to Fort Lewis, as students will choose to pay tuition at the University of Colorado (CU) or CSU rather than go to Fort Lewis. Mr. Campbell responded to questions from the committee.

03:58 PM -- Theresa Halsey, representing the Oyate Indigenous Student Association at CU Boulder, spoke in support of the bill. She discussed the challenges faced by indigenous students and the lack of diversity at CU Boulder. She discussed the impact on the university if the bill passes, and the number of out of state students that have had to drop out of school for financial reasons. She discussed outreach efforts to publicize the program to the community if the bill passes.

04:03 PM -- Reed Zephier, representing himself, spoke in support of the bill. He discussed his experience as a graduate student at the University of Denver (DU), his service in the US Navy, and studying law and politics. He spoke about how his status as a veteran helped him come to Colorado for his education. He discussed the current status of federally recognized tribes, as they relate to state governments and the United Nations. He discussed how family ties cross state borders for Native people. He pointed out a moral obligation to redress injustices of the past. He talked about increased purchasing power that comes from lowering tuition and resulting benefits to the state's economy.

04:08 PM

Representative Buckner closed witness testimony. Representative Salazar responded to questions from the committee.

04:19 PM

Representative Salazar continued to respond to questions from the committee.

04:20 PM

Representative Salazar offered closing comments to the bill. He discussed the importance of the bill to the Native American community. He discussed the legacy of the Sand Creek Massacre and urged the committee to vote in favor of the bill.


BILL:	HB15-1027
TIME:	04:22:31 PM
MOVED:	Lee
MOTION:	Refer House Bill 15-1027 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 6-5.
SECONDED:	Fields
		VOTE
	Everett	No
	Fields	Yes
	Garnett	Yes
	Landgraf	No
	Lee	Yes
	Lundeen	No
	Moreno	Yes
	Wilson	No
	Windholz	No
	Pettersen	Yes
	Buckner	Yes

Final YES: 6 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS