No one ever said understanding the 2009 School Finance Act would be easy, but in a particularly telling committee moment Wednesday, Sen. Evie Hudak, D-Arvada, proclaimed, "I don’t understand. I totally don’t understand."
COLORADO'S FRONTPAGE
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Content Index: Evie Hudak
Follow this topic by RSSInside the Democrats $4,300 Retreat
Face The State Humor
June 19, 2009Statehouse Democrats recently repaid $4,300 to the state for a "team building" retreat paid for with public money after it was revealed Republicans weren't invited. FTS humor columnist Andrew Ripemoff takes a look inside the exclusive event.
SENATE PRESIDENT BRANDON SHAFFER: Good morning everyone, and welcome to the retreat. Before we get started, are there any questions?
REP. JOEL JUDD: Yeah, are they going to bring out anymore glazed donuts? Someone took the last one.
Hudak: 'I totally don't understand.'
April 3, 2009Segment 2 - Dems kill school transparency act
FTS staff writer Rachel Boxer has the latest on Thursday's late night party-line vote to kill a bill that would have required increased disclosure of school district expenses.
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Lobbyists kill school transparency bill
A Face the State Staff Report
March 20, 2009Opponents of the School Finance Transparency Act successfully lobbied to kill the bill killed on a party-line vote Thursday night, with all Democrats on the House Education Committee voting against the measure.
FTS Humor: Do Not Resuscitate
Face The State Humor
March 20, 2009By Andrew Ripemoff
When I was 16, I worked in a fast food restaurant that shall go unnamed for reasons that will become obvious shortly. One busy afternoon, I spilled a package of french fries on the dirty, disgusting floor. My manager, (my MANAGER mind you), quickly scooped up the scattered spuds and put them in the bag with the rest of the customer’s order.
Political cartoon for 2/16: What's the fuss?
Face The State Humor
February 16, 2009
State Sen. Evie Hudak has enjoyed expensive meals, limo rides and interstate travel at taxpayer expense, including a more than $11,000 tab while serving on the State Board of Education. Hudak has resisted recent legislative efforts to provide more transparency for public school spending. FTS cartoonist Milton takes a guess as to why.
School transparency bill advances to House
A Face the State Staff Report
February 16, 2009
After a rigorous debate Friday, the School Finance Transparency Act passed a second reading on the Senate floor with strong bipartisan support.
FTS Humor: B.O. High School, Hot Jared, and Si Dot
Face The State Humor
February 16, 2009By Andrew Ripemoff
It’s been an awesome week. A week where Lakewood began requiring that all paid escorts be registered and injected with tracking micro-chips. Or maybe that was cats. It's easy to get confused with so many good ideas coming out of our local and state governments these days.
What is Senator Hudak trying to hide?
February 11, 2009
The School Finance Transparency Act, which would have required school districts to put their spending online in a searchable database, has been making its way through the state legislature, but only after multiple delays and a contentious amendment being tacked on.
Harvey questions Hudak's $50 lunches
Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, has taken up the cause of spending transparency this session with a bill requiring school districts to post their check registers online in searchable format. The Senate Education Committee recently gave approval to the measure, but in its altered version, such disclosure would become optional.
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Groff, Carroll selections give hope to school choice supporters
A Face the State Staff Report
November 11, 2008
This year's newly minted state House and Senate Democrat leaders have given school choice supporters a reason to be cautiously optimistic, as the two men slated to lead their respective chambers have often split with their union-backed party to support school choice.
Slideshow: Schaffer, Udall supporters rally before Channel 7 debate
A Face the State Staff Report
October 17, 2008
Republican and Democrats went toe-to-toe Thursday for pre-debate rally to show their support for U.S. Senate hopefuls Bob Schaffer and Mark Udall in front of the Channel 7 studios in downtown Denver. Both campaigns encouraged supporters to come downtown and wave signs at passersby before the two candidates debated in the KMGH studios on Speer Boulevard.
Slideshow: North Metro Senate candidates debate
A Face the State Staff Report
September 16, 2008
An older crowd filled the stadium seats of the Thornton City Council Chambers Monday night to hear candidates for four contested state Senate seats outline how they would each best serve their constituents' needs.
Outside money laps direct candidate contributions in SD 19
A Face the State Staff Report
September 10, 2008As Election Day approaches, independent political committees have spent at least 12 times as much as candidates in one of Colorado’s most competitive races.
Jeffco money watch: Union-backed Hudak faces pro-business Szabo
A Face the State Staff Report
July 9, 2008In Jefferson County's closely contested Senate District 19, Democrat Evie Hudak has started raking in union cash, while Republican Libby Szabo has seen her large-donor support come mostly from pro-business organizations and the state's energy providers.
Ed Board Chair Suckla Faces Flak from Voters
A Face the State Staff Report
June 30, 2008Voters from Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District are accusing Pamela Jo Suckla, chairwoman of the state Board of Education, of not representing their best interests after her recent refusal to take a public stand against Gov. Bill Ritter’s appeal of a Denver District Court Judge’s ruling that a mill levy freeze amounts to an unconstitutional tax increase.
State Ed Board Uncommitted On Mill Levy Appeal
A Face the State Staff Report
June 3, 2008While Gov. Bill Ritter has eagerly insisted that he will appeal a Friday court ruling establishing that a mill levy freeze amounts to an unconstitutional tax increase under Colorado law, members of the state Board of Education, a defendant in the case, remain undecided about whether they will formally join in support of Ritter's challenge.
Multiple factors aid in Democrat takeover of North Jeffco
A Face the State Staff Report
May 20, 2008While once Republican strategists could count on north Jefferson County to turn their way on Election Day, the last decade has proven a bloodbath for the party, with Democrats now holding all but a single one of the region’s five state legislative seats.
Election Preview: Top State Senate races to watch
A Face the State Staff Report
May 13, 2008With the 2008 state legislative session now heading for its place in the history books, Colorado heads full force toward election season. At Face The State, we will be providing an up-to-the minute analysis of the hottest races you'll want to be watching. You'll get the chance to know the players, how much cash they have on hand, and how they stack up against their opposition.
Despite lavish expenses, State Ed Board chair says spending "prudent"
A Face the State Staff Report
March 6, 2008At the Colorado State Board of Education’s monthly meeting Wednesday, members anguished over the recent budget cuts imposed on them after reports of lavish spending became public.