Graduation guidelines bill gains
A bill that would set up statewide high school graduation guidelines was passed unanimously Wednesday by the Senate Education Committee.
Colorado is one of just six states without statewide graduation requirements.
House Bill 1118 from Rep. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, and Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, would require the State Board of Education to create minimum graduation requirements.
Local school boards then would have to develop requirements that at least meet the state minimum. They could have different course requirements for students headed to college, trade school and the workforce.
“The goal is to have some minimum uniformity across our state,” Tupa said.
The bill has passed the House and is now headed to the full Senate.
Letting parolees vote gets OK
After two hours of debate on constitutional law, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday endorsed a proposal to let felons on parole vote.
The provision was added to a broader election code cleanup earlier this month on the Senate floor. After opponents – including Republicans Attorney General John Suthers and Secretary of State Mike Coffman – raised questions about the constitutionality of such a provision, the bill was sent back to committee.
On straight party-line vote of 4-3, the panel sent the bill back to the full Senate unchanged.
A representative of Suthers’ office, Solicitor General Dan Dominico, told lawmakers they don’t have authority to give parolees voting rights.
“This (parolee voting) portion redefines by legislation a constitutional phrase, and the legislature does not have that authority,” he said.
“Full rights of parolees return only when a full sentence is completed or after a pardon by the governor.”
