Improving Access to a Quality Education

Higher Education

In 2003, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel found that there is a paradox in Colorado when it comes to higher education. Colorado consistently ranks near the top of all states in the percentage of population with bachelor’s degrees; at the same time, Colorado ranks 27th in the percentage of high school freshmen that obtain a college degree. During the 2003 legislative session, the Bighorn Center endorsed 03-HB 1336, a proposal that would have restructured public funding for higher education. Under this plan, eligible Colorado residents intending to attend a public college or university in the state would receive a savings account that would in turn replace the state’s direct General Fund payment to higher education institutions. The bill was postponed indefinitely.

K-12

We believe a quality education is the foundation for success. We also believe that every child deserves access to a quality education. That’s why Bighorn Center supported HB 03-1160, otherwise known as the Colorado Opportunity Contract Pilot Project. In supporting this bill, it was our hope that this limited pilot project would advance the long-deadlocked debate concerning the role of vouchers in K-12 education by providing real information that could then be evaluated. The bill passed the legislature in 2003 and was signed by Governor Owens. However, HB 1160 was challenged in the courts and the court deemed the bill unconstitutional.

Voter Participation

In 2002 Bighorn put two election-related initiatives on the ballot. Amendments 28 and 29 were designed to increase public participation in the electoral process.

Amendment 28 would have ensured that all registered and active voters who normally vote by mail would have automatically received a mail ballot instead of having to request one.

Amendment 29, also called the Open Ballot Access Amendment, would have set the petition process (where candidates gather a certain number of signatures from registered voters) as the uniform method for those seeking elected office to get on the ballot.

Though both initiatives failed, the Bighorn Center remains committed to the ideal that democracy works best when a large percentage of the population participates in the electoral process.

Campaign Finance Disclosure

Bighorn is committed to increasing public participation in the political and policy arenas. Whether it is the Bighorn Leadership Development Program or FairvoteColorado.org, Bighorn has and continues to be supportive of opportunities that inform the public about elections and the electoral process. It is for these reasons that Bighorn supported SB 92 during the 2001 Legislative session.
During the 2000 election cycle, it was clear that there was an increase in the number of educational committees targeting candidates on both sides of the aisle. Unlike the federal 527s that received so much attention in November 2004, education committees do NOT have to disclose who is behind the committee and the amounts contributed.
Senate Bill 92, sponsored by Senators Norma Anderson ( R-Lakewood) and Ken Gordon (D-Denver) would have modified the Colorado Fair Campaign Practices Act to require any person or political committee making an independent expenditure in excess of $1,000 to disclose contributor information to the Colorado Secretary of State. The bill was killed in committee.
In order to educate Colorado voters about education committees, Bighorn produced an informational pamphlet that included tips for voters as well as information on education committees. Lt. Fineprint Disclosure Detective: Knowledge is Power