Senate Education

Monday, February 23, 2026·1h 29m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Senate Education Committee unanimously confirmed four members of the Institute of Cannabis Research Governing Board and advanced SB 26-067, a tuition waiver for dependents of certain disabled veterans, to Appropriations after adopting a narrowing amendment — despite a disputed $59 million fiscal note and an amend position from the Colorado Community College System.

Key Actions

·ICR Governing Board – Confirmation of Four MembersPassed

+ 2 more actions

Controversies

Fiscal note estimate: 46 students vs. 4,600 students

Senator Sullivan argued he was given an assumption of 46 eligible students and called the fiscal note's figure of 4,600 students — and resulting $59 million cost — 'beyond irresponsibility,' stating the note 'added by a factor of 100.' John Armstrong of Legislative Council Staff responded that the 4,600 number was his own estimate based on data from institutions of higher education using current recipients of similar federal grant programs, and acknowledged the amendment would make the numbers 'much, much smaller,' though he declined to give a specific revised figure.

+ 3 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“I was given an assumption that 46 students would be eligible. The six page financial fiscal note that was presented to me didn't add just 100 more students. It added by a factor of 100 and assumes that nearly 4600 would be eligible.”
Senator Tom Sullivan — Sullivan explaining the gap between his original expectation of eligible students and the Legislative Council Staff's fiscal note estimate, which he called 'beyond irresponsibility.'

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Send to the full Senate with a favorable recommendation the appointments of Dr. Angela Bryan and Chuck Smith and the reappointments of Dr. Joanna Zeiger and Sherrod Rogers to the Institute of Cannabis Research Governing BoardPassed

Yes (7)Frizell, Kipp, Liston, Rich, Snyder, Marchman, Chair Kolker

Amendment L0011 to SB 26-067Passed

Move Senate Bill 67, as amended, to the Committee on AppropriationsPassed

Yes (6)Frizell, Liston, Rich, Snyder, Marchman, Chair Kolker

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TranscriptPreview

Miss Kurtzfelman, call the roll, please. Senator Frazell. She's excused. Kip. Here. Liston. Here. Rich. Here. Snyder. Here. Marchman. Here. Mr. Chair. Here. We have a quorum and ready to do business. First, we will be hearing a confirmation hearing for the Institute of Cannabis Research governing board. I think we have Dr. Chad Kinney to do the introduction and then we also have the confirmed. Dr. Angela Brian, Sherrod Rogers, Dr. Joanna Zeiger, and Chuck Smith. If you're here, come on up. I don't see. Dr. Kinney did online. Did you have any communication, Ms. Dagger? Okay. Okay. We gotta keep going though. Well, we have Senator Vercell downstairs, so let's just begin with who's here. Dr. Kinney shows up, he can introduce us, possibly, if he has it. Dr. Zeiger, if you'd like to just tell us who you are and why you would like this confirmation. Make sure the light's green. There's the. Oh, see, you got. You got lucky. He got up here. Dr. Kinney. Dr. Kinney will give us a warm intro. How's that sound? Once he catches. Once he catches his breath. So if you just go ahead and turn the mic on. State…

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