This Week In Policy: Brough Defends Accountability for Educators

Chamber President and CEO Kelly Brough testified in opposition to a bill that undermines the progress Colorado has made on establishing high standards for student and educator accountability—which are critical to the education system we need for a strong workforce in the future. Following testimony, the bill was postponed indefinitely.

In 2010, the Chamber was part of a diverse coalition of organizations that supported Senate Bill 191, which increased accountability for educators and principals. The current bill, Senate Bill 105, would eliminate a key provision of Senate Bill 191 that requires educator evaluations to consider, at least in part, student growth.

“Student progress is the cornerstone of our education system and should be one of the key performance indicators that we should be focused on as a state,” Brough said at the Senate Education Committee this afternoon.

The Chamber was pleased that the committee killed the bill on a 6-3 vote. Click here to read Brough’s full testimony.

Chamber Supports More Diverse Housing

The Chamber continues to advocate for solutions at the legislature that will encourage diverse housing options, including for-sale condominiums. Our main concern as we work on this issue is providing remedies for homeowners while also avoiding more costly litigation.

This week the Chamber took a position in opposition to Senate Bill 82, which would prohibit a homeowners’ association or other person from retaliating or discriminating against a homeowner who files a complaint. While the Chamber supports whistleblower protections, we’re concerned in this case it would cause more harm than good, opening the door to more time in courts without proof from the complaining party, impacting homeowners and the marketability of their property.

See More Chamber Testimony

Chamber Public Affairs Director Jennifer Jones also testified this afternoon in support of House Bill 1008, which would increase road capacity by allowing Colorado Department of Transportation buses to use the shoulder as a traffic lane. Click here to see Jones’ and other testimony at the Capitol by the Chamber.

Want to read more about the bills the Chamber is tracking? Click here.