Bell Action

Feb 2, 2012

Semro testifies on health workforce data, PACE bill

Bob Semro, the Bell's health policy analyst, testified in favor of two bills on Thursday.

House Bill 1052 would use the licensing process to gather health care workforce data. This method would be efficient and cost-effective, and with this data, Colorado will be better able to plan for future health care needs and to successful public policies. Rep. Ken Summers and Sens. Betty Boyd and Ellen Roberts are sponsoring the bill.

Feb 2, 2012

Bell report shows large gaps in third-grade reading ability

Third grade is an especially important marker for children, because decades of research has shown a direct correlation between reading proficiency in third grade and a child's educational trajectory through high school. Third grade is the point at which children transition from "learning to read" to "reading to learn."

Jan 30, 2012

Straight talk on health care reform: Individual mandate

The main goal of the Affordable Care Act is to have more Americans covered by health insurance. The mechanism for achieving that goal is the "individual mandate" – the requirement that most Americans have health insurance.

Jan 25, 2012

Skills for Jobs Act wins unanimous, bipartisan support

The Skills for Jobs Act is good public policy that will help match the needs of Colorado's businesses with the training and skills provided by the state's post-secondary education and workforce-development programs.

Policy analyst Frank Waterous testified in favor of the legislation (HB 12-1061), which also was supported by the Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and the Interwest Energy Alliance, among others. CACI said HB 1061 is a "common-sense bill."

Jan 20, 2012

Educational opportunity and upcoming legislative action

We at the Bell still believe in the American Dream. For most of us, Colorado offers many opportunities to succeed, and education is the primary means we use to help us take advantage of those opportunities