Roll back Colorado’s renewable energy mandate?
Just around dinner time last night the House Transportation Committee, chaired by Weld County GOP Rep Glenn Vaad, moved HB 1121 (detailed here) out of committee on a 10-3 vote and to the whole House for a floor debate on Colorado’s renewable energy mandate. Rep. Ray Scott’s (R-Grand Junction) Ratepayer Bill of Rights, dubbed “RayBOR” […]
Roll back Colorado's renewable energy mandate?
Just around dinner time last night the House Transportation Committee, chaired by Weld County GOP Rep Glenn Vaad, moved HB 1121 (detailed here) out of committee on a 10-3 vote and to the whole House for a floor debate on Colorado’s renewable energy mandate. Rep. Ray Scott’s (R-Grand Junction) Ratepayer Bill of Rights, dubbed “RayBOR” […]
The Rail Empire Strikes Back
Rail advocates responded to the Antiplanner recent visit to Charlotte, NC, by inviting William Lind, who bills himself as “a conservative who supports rail transit,” to comment on Charlotte’s proposed Red Line project. “Real conservatives like commuter trains,” says Lind. How does he know? Because the average income of people who ride commuter trains in […]
Access to birth control has nothing to do with actual insurance
In other words, lack of insurance coverage for contraception is equivalent to being forced not to use contraception. That is some strange argument, but it’s what we’ve come to expect from members of the “world’s greatest deliberative body.” So the question remains: What has this got to do with insurance? Continue reading
DeGrow Comments on Colorado Literacy Bill for One News Now
A story today on American Family Radio News (One News Now) about Colorado’s House Bill 1238, and other states’ legislation aimed at holding back third-graders who aren’t proficient readers, featured comments from senior policy analyst Ben DeGrow. In an interview with reporter Bob Kellogg, DeGrow highlighted the need for more focused accountability on early literacy.
British Academies Promote Case for School Autonomy
Denver-based education policy consultant Gina Schlieman discusses a recent article in The Economist that highlights the positive results from Great Britain’s expansion of academies, publicly-funded schools that have been given greater autonomy. Schlieman calls on her recent graduate-level studies at the London School of Economics to provide some uniquely informed insights regarding what Colorado and other states ought to glean from this emerging British education success story.
Carbon tax repeal moves out of committee
On an 8-4 vote, the House Ag Committee moved HB 1172, repealing Colorado’s carbon tax, out of committee for consideration by the whole House. One Democrat Wes McKinley joined all seven Republicans Representatives Paul Brown, Don Coram, Marsha Looper, Ray Scott, Glenn Vaad, Randy Baumgardner, and Jerry Sonnenberger.
Why Congress Should End New Starts
The House Republican transportation bill ends gas tax subsidies of transit and requires that any new rail projects receiving “New Starts” grants meet strict financial tests and not simply be awarded on the basis of some vague concept such as “livability.” In response, Secretary of Livability Ray LaHood says it is vital to keep funding […]
Colorado’s NCLB Waiver Won’t Mean Much without Deeper Reforms
Last week news broke that Colorado was one of 10 states to receive U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s waivers from the No Child Left Behind Act. It’s really hard to say the impact the waiver will have in schools and district offices, but to the extent it enhances focus on genuine improvement rather than bureaucratic compliance Colorado students will be truly blessed. If we really want to shake things up and make a powerful impact, our state’s policy makers and other education leaders should pay heed to the growing number of substantial voices demanding that education dollars follow the child.
$7.8 Million in 2010-11 AFT Member Dues (including Douglas County) Mostly Given to Liberal Causes
Doing his usual fine reporting, the Education Intelligence Agency’s Mike Antonucci breaks down the American Federation of Teachers’ latest report of its contributions to advocacy groups. During the 2010-11 fiscal year, AFT gave $7.8 million in member dues money to a wide range of organizations, an amount as large as the previous two years combined.
The […]
The FDA vs. a doctor’s cancer cure & his patients
The FDA, which instigated four grand juries and two trials during its 12-year campaign to put Stanislaw Burzynski in prison, said it did not matter whether the Texas physician’s unconventional cancer treatments saved people’s lives. The point was that he had failed to get the FDA’s permission first. Continue reading
The FDA vs. a doctor’s cancer cure & his patients
The FDA, which instigated four grand juries and two trials during its 12-year campaign to put Stanislaw Burzynski in prison, said it did not matter whether the Texas physician’s unconventional cancer treatments saved people’s lives. The point was that he had failed to get the FDA’s permission first. Continue reading
