Freshman Lawmaker’s First Bill Heads to Governor for Signature

DENER—Freshman State Rep. Kathleen Conti scored a major victory yesterday when her first bill passed the General Assembly with wide support from both Democrats and Republicans.

House Bill 1089 expands the pool of federal grants that charter schools are able to compete for.

“Colorado’s charter schools are at the forefront of educational innovation in Colorado, ” said Conti, R-Littleton. “Allowing charters to compete for federal and state grants will only further their success and their ability to serve Colorado students. ”

Conti’s proposal follows Senate Bill 10-161. The 2010 law granted charter schools the ability to compete for an expanded pool of grant money. Conti’s proposal builds on the success of SB 161 by expanding the ability of charter schools to compete for additional grants that were excluded from the original bill.

“Charter schools across the country are already competing for this funding, ” added Conti. “This measure puts Colorado schools in the game as well. ”

HB 1089 now makes its way to Gov. John Hickenlooper for final approval before becoming law.