An 11th-hour amendment creates a new education fund in Colorado with millions of dollars more for K-
CBS Colorado
[{'start': '0.080', 'end': '4.160', 'text': 'Week left in the legislative session, a'}, {'start': '2.080', 'end': '6.160', 'text': 'hearing to finalize school funding takes'}, {'start': '4.160', 'end': '8.240', 'text': 'an unexpected turn. A Senate committee'}, {'start': '6.160', 'end': '10.000', 'text': 'approves a new education fund that will'}, {'start': '8.240', 'end': '12.559', 'text': 'include hundreds of millions of dollars'}, {'start': '10.000', 'end': '14.320', 'text': 'more for K through2 schools. This comes'}, {'start': '12.559', 'end': '16.720', 'text': 'during a session in which budget issues'}, {'start': '14.320', 'end': '18.480', 'text': 'became a top priority. Your political'}, {'start': '16.720', 'end': '20.240', 'text': 'reporter Sean Boyd joins us now to'}, {'start': '18.480', 'end': '22.560', 'text': 'explain. So Sean, where is the money'}, {'start': '20.240', 'end': '24.960', 'text': 'coming from? Income taxes the same as'}, {'start': '22.560', 'end': '27.439', 'text': 'the state education fund, which is not'}, {'start': '24.960', 'end': '29.519', 'text': 'impacted by this. The move will mean'}, {'start': '27.439', 'end': '31.679', 'text': 'less money next year for other'}, {'start': '29.519', 'end': '34.079', 'text': 'expenditures. But the Republican and'}, {'start': '31.679', 'end': '37.520', 'text': 'Democrat who brought the amendment say'}, {'start': '34.079', 'end': '39.840', 'text': "it's all about priorities."}, {'start': '37.520', 'end': '41.600', 'text': 'Now, boys and girls, Senator Kulker and'}, {'start': '39.840', 'end': '43.680', 'text': 'I put down a marker that said we are'}, {'start': '41.600', 'end': '45.920', 'text': 'going to fund education first. For'}, {'start': '43.680', 'end': '48.079', 'text': 'years, Senator Barb Kirkmeer and Chris'}, {'start': '45.920', 'end': '50.719', 'text': 'Kulker have listened to colleagues claim'}, {'start': '48.079', 'end': '53.120', 'text': 'school funding is a top priority. They'}, {'start': '50.719', 'end': '54.879', 'text': "say it's time to walk the talk."}, {'start': '53.120', 'end': '57.199', 'text': 'Education is the one thing in our'}, {'start': '54.879', 'end': '59.920', 'text': 'constitution that provides a permanent'}, {'start': '57.199', 'end': '62.480', 'text': "source of funding. We just haven't"}, {'start': '59.920', 'end': '64.320', 'text': 'fulfilled that promise. Funding for K12'}, {'start': '62.480', 'end': '67.119', 'text': 'schools should be growing by inflation'}, {'start': '64.320', 'end': '69.760', 'text': 'every year. But for 15 years, lawmakers'}, {'start': '67.119', 'end': '71.680', 'text': 'shortchanged it by billions of dollars.'}, {'start': '69.760', 'end': '74.320', 'text': 'Last year, they finally met their'}, {'start': '71.680', 'end': '76.640', 'text': 'constitutional obligation while also'}, {'start': '74.320', 'end': '79.520', 'text': 'passing a new school finance act that'}, {'start': '76.640', 'end': '81.600', 'text': 'promised even more money. A year later,'}, {'start': '79.520', 'end': '83.680', 'text': "they're already backpedaling. We can't"}, {'start': '81.600', 'end': '86.000', 'text': 'keep going down this path. Kirk, Meyer,'}, {'start': '83.680', 'end': '87.840', 'text': 'and Kulker decided to blow things up.'}, {'start': '86.000', 'end': '90.240', 'text': 'They brought an amendment to the school'}, {'start': '87.840', 'end': '92.479', 'text': 'finance act to create a brand new'}, {'start': '90.240', 'end': '94.720', 'text': 'education fund and dared their'}, {'start': '92.479', 'end': '96.400', 'text': 'colleagues to oppose it. We named it the'}, {'start': '94.720', 'end': '98.079', 'text': 'trust fund, the Kids Matters Trust Fund'}, {'start': '96.400', 'end': '99.759', 'text': 'for a reason, because kids do matter and'}, {'start': '98.079', 'end': '102.159', 'text': "so does their education. If you can't"}, {'start': '99.759', 'end': '103.520', 'text': 'agree to this, it tells me that you'}, {'start': '102.159', 'end': '106.479', 'text': "don't think we should be funding"}, {'start': '103.520', 'end': '110.000', 'text': 'education first. The Kids Matter Fund'}, {'start': '106.479', 'end': '112.960', 'text': 'will receive an estimated $233 million'}, {'start': '110.000', 'end': '115.600', 'text': 'next year from income taxes. Money that'}, {'start': '112.960', 'end': '118.079', 'text': 'under the amendment can only be spent on'}, {'start': '115.600', 'end': '120.320', 'text': 'per pupil funding and programs like'}, {'start': '118.079', 'end': '122.000', 'text': 'special education. My message to kids,'}, {'start': '120.320', 'end': '124.159', 'text': 'parents, teachers, schools, everyone'}, {'start': '122.000', 'end': '127.280', 'text': 'involved in in public education is we'}, {'start': '124.159', 'end': '129.039', 'text': 'see you. We hear you. There all of us'}, {'start': '127.280', 'end': '130.879', 'text': 'want to increase funding education.'}, {'start': '129.039', 'end': '132.400', 'text': 'Everyone down here wants to do that. We'}, {'start': '130.879', 'end': '134.800', 'text': 'have to find the right methods to do it'}, {'start': '132.400', 'end': '136.879', 'text': 'and we believe we have.'}, {'start': '134.800', 'end': '139.360', 'text': "Kulker and Kirk Meyer say they didn't"}, {'start': '136.879', 'end': '141.440', 'text': 'intend to blindside anyone. They had a'}, {'start': '139.360', 'end': '143.440', 'text': 'bill drafted that would have set up the'}, {'start': '141.440', 'end': '145.440', 'text': 'fund, but were told it was too late in'}, {'start': '143.440', 'end': '147.440', 'text': 'the session to introduce it. So, they'}, {'start': '145.440', 'end': '149.760', 'text': 'found a different avenue. The amendment'}, {'start': '147.440', 'end': '152.160', 'text': "affects next year's budget. The governor"}, {'start': '149.760', 'end': '155.200', 'text': "already signed this year's. And both"}, {'start': '152.160', 'end': '157.120', 'text': 'Kirk Meyer and K Coker tell me that they'}, {'start': '155.200', 'end': '159.760', 'text': 'do believe that this amendment will'}, {'start': '157.120', 'end': '162.400', 'text': 'stick when this bill goes to the floor.'}, {'start': '159.760', 'end': '165.040', 'text': "Again, this is money 233 million that's"}, {'start': '162.400', 'end': '167.519', 'text': 'in addition to the funding that schools'}, {'start': '165.040', 'end': '169.040', 'text': "already receive. So, it'll be needed. A"}, {'start': '167.519', 'end': '172.160', 'text': 'big shot in the arm. Yeah, they really'}, {'start': '169.040', 'end': '172.160', 'text': 'need it. Thank you, Sean.'}]