House Education

Thursday, January 29, 2026·3h 22m·▶ Watch / Listen

The House Education Committee advanced three bills, but its two split votes told the story: a broadly popular open-textbook grant program drew fiscal skepticism, and a bill making kindergarten readiness plans optional for proficient students splintered the panel over whether the change would ease teacher burnout or widen inequities between rich and poor schools.

Key Actions

·Continuation of Open Educational Resources ProgramPassed

+ 2 more actions

Notable Quotes

“This money doesn't go to a New York City publisher. It stays in Rangeley and it stays in Craig this money is used to purchase snacks at Dollar General or gas money so students can drive 60 miles to the nearest grocery store.”
Nicholas Swails (Dean of Academic Affairs and Online Learning, Colorado Northwestern Community College; Vice Chair OER Council) · witness — The core argument for the OER program's rural benefit — that savings stay in local communities rather than flowing to textbook publishers.

+ 5 more quotes

Votes

Referred to Committee on AppropriationsAction

Yes (11)Jennifer Bacon, Mary Bradfield, Ava Flanell, Lindsay Gilchrist, Eliza Hamrick, Anthony Hartsook, Jacque Phillips, Katie Stewart, Tammy Story, Matthew Martinez, Meghan Lukens

No (2)Lori Garcia Sander, Dusty Johnson

Referred to Committee of the WholeAction

Yes (13)Jennifer Bacon, Mary Bradfield, Ava Flanell, Lori Garcia Sander, Lindsay Gilchrist, Eliza Hamrick, Anthony Hartsook, Dusty Johnson, Jacque Phillips, Katie Stewart, Tammy Story, Matthew Martinez, Meghan Lukens

Referred to Committee of the WholeAction

Yes (10)Mary Bradfield, Ava Flanell, Lori Garcia Sander, Eliza Hamrick, Dusty Johnson, Jacque Phillips, Katie Stewart, Tammy Story, Matthew Martinez, Meghan Lukens

No (3)Jennifer Bacon, Lindsay Gilchrist, Anthony Hartsook

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TranscriptPreview

Representatives Bacon. Excused. Bradfield. Here. Flinell. President Garcia. Sander. Present. Billchrist. Present. Amrick. Here. Hartsook. Johnson. Here. Phillips. Yes. Stuart. Kay. Here. Story. Here. Here. Martinez. Here. Madam Chair. Here. Okay. Today is our first Education Committee hearing of the 2026 legislative session. Welcome to the best committee and thank you all for being here today. We will, in this committee, we will traditionally do three minutes for testimony. But if we have a lot of witnesses, we will limit it to two. Today, we will do three minutes for testimony. So we ask that folks try to keep it to three minutes. There will be a red light on the dais that will alert you when the three minutes is up. And we will have 10 minutes for the committee to ask questions to each panel. And we are going to start with House Bill 1016. I understand that we have a lot of witnesses signed up today. So for folks in the room, if you are here to testify on House Bill 1016, you can stay in the room. And then once House Bill 1016, once we have moved through that bill, we ask that you give your…

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