By Curtis Hubbard
Governor Jared Polis last week joined former Colorado governors Bill Ritter, Bill Owens, and Roy Romer to urge Coloradans to vote ‘Yes’ on Proposition 119, a November ballot measure that would increase taxes on recreational marijuana to fund tutoring and other academic supports for Colorado kids.
“The hours our children spend after school are a critical time, and Proposition 119 will allow more kids to benefit from after-school learning activities — from tutoring to music and art,” Polis said. “I’m voting for Prop 119 this November because all kids, no matter their family’s income, deserve access to these enriching opportunities.”
“That too many Colorado students are behind in reading, science, and math is a problem that has vexed us for too long — and the pandemic just made it worse,” said Romer. “Vote Yes on 119 to help our kids catch up.”
“In Colorado, a student’s success is too often connected directly to their race, family income, and where they grow up,” Ritter said. “Voting Yes on Prop 119 this November can help change that.”
“Prop 119 is a first-of-its-kind initiative to help close the opportunity gap and it is uniting Coloradans regardless of their political leanings or where they live,” said Owens.
The Governors are part of a bipartisan coalition urging Colorado to Vote Yes on Prop 119, including: former Denver Mayors Wellington Webb and Federico Peña, state Sen. Rhonda Fields, former state treasurer Mark Hillman, former GOP Senate Presidents John Andrews and Bill Cadman, and dozens of other civic and education leaders across Colorado.
Prop 119 would provide financial aid for families to choose from a menu of approved out-of-school learning providers, including tutoring, career, and technical education-training programs, STEM opportunities, special education services, among others. The proposition establishes a new state entity to oversee the program, with out-of-classroom learning opportunities available in all communities in Colorado.
The LEAP program, which would be housed in the Colorado Department of Education, would be largely funded by a 5% sales tax on recreational marijuana. The financial aid would be available to all students with priority given to low-income families.
Prop 119 takes on added urgency as parents, educators and policy-makers continue to assess the learning loss and other academic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. After-school learning and enrichment leaders including the Boys and Girls Clubs across Colorado, Servicios de la Raza, The African Leadership Group, and Firefly Autism; among others, have come out in support of this bipartisan measure.
Visit VoteYESonProp119.com for additional information.