Senate Education

Wednesday, April 22, 2026·▶ Watch / Listen

Senate Education advanced two bills along sharply different lines — a task force to replicate what works in high-performing public schools (SB26-170) cleared unanimously to Appropriations after a bruising debate over its premise, while a party-line split sent SB26-166's new criminal disqualifications for school board candidates to the floor. The committee also confirmed three higher-education board appointees on consent.

Key Actions

·School Board Member Disqualifying ConvictionsPassed

+ 4 more actions

Notable Quotes

“For a long time now, a student's zip code has been the strongest statistical predictor of that student's school or career outcomes or whether that student would also be lifted by the right educational experience. This bill says, not in Colorado. Not anymore.”
James Coleman — The prime sponsor's framing of the task force as an attack on geographic inequity in student outcomes.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Referred to Committee of the WholeAction

Yes (4)James Coleman, Cathy Kipp, Janice Marchman, Chris Kolker

No (3)Scott Bright, Lisa Frizell, Janice Rich

Referred to Committee on AppropriationsAction

Yes (7)James Coleman, Lisa Frizell, Cathy Kipp, Janice Rich, Janice Marchman, Chris Kolker, Scott Bright

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TranscriptPreview

Oh, you might need a. I did it on my windowsill. Senate Education Committee will come to order. Ms. Chris Phelan, please take the roll. Senators Bright. Here. Coleman. Excuse. Let's do. Let's do this. Frizzell. Excused. Kip. Here. Rich. Here. Marchman. Here. Mr. Chair. Here. We have a quorum and we'll begin. We have a full schedule today, especially with confirmations, and we're going to get started right, right away with a confirmation hearing for Western Colorado University. We have one confirmed. Me, Scott Ehrlich. And we have President Brad Baca here today. Good afternoon, President Vaca, if you'd like to go ahead and get us started. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Members of the committee, my name is Brad Baca. I am president of Western Colorado University, and I'm very excited to be here today to introduce Scott Ehrlich, who is in front of you for confirmation, to our Board of trustees. As I said before in these hearings, from my perspective, the board of Trustees are some of the most important positions at an institution. They are not just helping us set the direction for the institution, but as president, they are my thought partners, they are my…

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