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State Issues
Colorado Wasteful Spending (FY 2024-25)
Department of Corrections: $ 7,995,411 Increase 28.3 FTE
● Transgender Unit and Healthcare
- $2,677,911 to create two transgender living units totaling 148 beds.
- $5,317,500 for “gender-confirming surgical care.
●Clinical Staff Incentives
- $6,312,464 General Fund to provide incentive payments for certain DOC clinical staff up to $25,000.
- The bill includes an increase of $6,312,464 General Fund to provide incentive payments for certain DOC clinical staff up to $25,000.
●HB 24-1389 School Funding 2023-24 for New Arrival Students (immigrants): $24,000,000
- The bill provides $24,000,000 to be distributed to school districts and charter schools for new arrival students. It increases state expenditures and school district funding in the current FY 2023-24 only.
● Office of New Americans Expansion (immigrants): $119,029 General Fund and 1.5 FTE
- $119,029 General Fund and 1.5 FTE for an administrator to manage ONA grants, coordinate with other entities, and identify opportunities for new migrant career pathway enhancement and a full-time program assistant to support the ONA Director.
-This office has had difficulty expending grants.
●SB 24-182 Immigrant Identification Document Issuance: $ 122,855
- The bill changes certain requirements for the issuance of driver licenses or state identification cards to individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States. The bill increases state expenditures for FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26 only.
●HB 24-1280 Welcome, Reception, Integration, Grant Program:
$ 2,436,862
- The bill creates the Statewide Welcome, Reception, and Integration Grant Program to provide assistance to migrants. It transfers funds in FY 2024-25 only.
●Immigrant Legal Defense Fund: $ 350,000
- Long Bill budget amendment
- A doubling of the fund for FY 2024-25 making a total budget of $700,000. This funding is used for public defense for people facing immigration legal issues. Sponsored by Rep. Mabrey and Sen. Gonzalez.
●Office of Health Equity and Environmental Justice: $ 2,840,715
- Funding for the Office
- Mission: Build partnerships to mobilize community power and transform systems to advance health equity and environmental justice.
- What this office does to advance their mission:
1. Build relationships with communities and across sectors to address root causes of health disparities.
2. Use equity in decision-making and partner with all sectors of government to embed health and equity considerations into their decision-making process.
3. Use data to support the narrative of the social determinants of health and tell the story of what creates health.
4. De-center communications from the English language or any one dominant language, and prioritize language justice when engaging with communities.
5. Develop, implement, and provide guidance on health equity training, practice, and policies within CDPHE and across the state of Colorado.
6. Focus on upstream determinants of health, guided by the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative.
●HB 24-1197 Department of Public Safety Supplemental: $ 9,800,000
- Funding for Community-based organizations providing service for migrants.
- Funds to provide grants to community-based organizations providing services to people migrating to Colorado.
●Department of Education: $ 56,100,000
- Expanding Healthy Meals for All Program.
- Adds $56.1 million total funds for the Healthy School Meals for All Program, including $40.6 million from the Healthy School Meals for All Program General Fund Exempt Account and $15.5 million from the General Fund. This includes an increase of $56.0 million for meal reimbursements and $100,000 for consulting resources.
●HB 21-1318 Department of Public Health & Environment: $ 198,192
- Outdoor Equity Program
- This bill injected identity politics into access to the outdoors.
●Department of Public Health & Environment: $2,840,715 total funds and 8.3 FTE
- Creating the Office of Health Equity and Environmental Justice by combining two offices.
- The bill includes an increase of $2,840,715 total funds and 8.3 FTE, including a reduction of $11,349 General Fund, to join the Environmental Justice Program with the Office of Health Equity to form the Office of Health Equity and Environmental Justice (OHEEJ) for the purpose of centralizing environmental justice staff. OHEEJ is responsible for ongoing environmental justice work, including administration of environmental health mitigation grants through the Community Impact Cash Fund.
●Department of Revenue: $714,515 total funds and 8.3 FTE
- GENTAX & DRIVES SUPPORT FUNDING: The bill includes an increase of $714,515 total funds and 8.3 FTE, comprised of $442,906 General Fund and $271,609 cash funds from the Colorado DRIVES Vehicle Services. Account, in FY 2024-25. Funds will address the backlog of upgrades and system enhancements to the DRIVES and GenTax systems stemming from legislative, user experience, and system operational demands.
Colorado Schools Shut Down for Anti-Trump Protest:
Teachers Prioritize Politics Over Education
In Colorado, schools closed not due to weather or emergencies, but because teachers chose protests over classrooms. On January 30, districts like Aurora Public Schools and Adams County School District 14 halted classes. The reason? Many educators skipped work to join an anti-Trump, anti-ICE demonstration. This event highlights a growing trend where political activism disrupts public education.
The Shutdown Details
This closure stemmed from "National Shutdown Day," a coordinated effort by activists to boycott work, school, and spending in protest of federal immigration policies. In Aurora, officials cited understaffing in a letter to parents. They rescheduled the missed day for February 6, originally set for professional development. Teachers, it seems, preferred public rallies and social media campaigns like #AbolishICE over their duties.
Union Response
The Colorado Education Association backed the action. President Kevin Vick praised the teachers for their convictions and passion. He urged wearing blue or posting in solidarity, though he avoided endorsing a full walkout. This support raises questions about unions prioritizing ideology over educational stability.
Broader Patterns
This incident fits a larger pattern of public employees pushing left-wing views. In West Virginia, a librarian faced arrest for alleged threats against President Trump. A Chicago school librarian reportedly shared a "hit list" of conservative journalists. Meanwhile, in Indiana, a school worker was placed on leave for supporting ICE on Facebook. These cases show how political expression varies by viewpoint.
Double Standards
The disparity is striking. Left-leaning educators can protest, post controversial content, and retain jobs. Yet, those backing law enforcement or conservative causes often face repercussions, such as scrutiny for wearing MAGA hats. This imbalance suggests ideological bias in public institutions, where one side enjoys leniency while the other endures punishment.
Impact on Parents and Students
Parents bore the brunt, scrambling for childcare and adjusting schedules. Some districts, like Boulder Valley, operated despite a quarter of teachers absent, but offered excused absences for protesting students. This sends a troubling message: politics trumps learning. Education, funded by taxpayers, should focus on students, not serve as a platform for activism.
Hypocrisy in Action
Hypocrisy reaches its peak here. I find it incredibly concerning when participants do not even understand the constitutional premise in the First Amendment, which does not allow for "protests" at all. Rather, it allows simply for "peaceful assembly" and "to petition the government for a redress of grievances." But these teachers believe that their First Amendment "right" extends beyond that. Also, the vast majority of these same teachers were not active in exercising their First Amendment "right" when Obama deported 5 million people using the same entity to do so.
The issues we are experiencing today are completely self-induced, just like during the "Summer of Love" in 2020. This is literally only happening due to their hate for Trump rather than the policies. It is quite telling when the same policies are administered by one president like Obama with no resistance and then face full-on resistance with another like President Trump.
The rhetoric coming from the left-wing teachers union and their members as a whole is extremely concerning. It is also just as concerning that previously they were upset with parents not participating in their children's education, but once the parents did raise concerns about the curriculum and their corresponding actions, teachers did their best to block the parents from knowing what was being taught to their children. This is a textbook example of hypocrisy.
Colorado's school shutdowns, particularly due to issues tied to politics, expose misplaced priorities in education. When teachers opt for protests over teaching, it undermines trust in the system. As a Montrose resident, I see this as a local issue demanding accountability. Parents deserve better; our kids' futures depend on it. Let's demand educators put classrooms first.
Just one man’s humble opinion.
Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”
Michael is a father of 5, grandfather of 3, USAF Veteran, recording artist, entrepreneur, Editor of USA Liberty Report, passionate about Freedom, Liberty, the founders’ genius of the Constitution and current Candidate for Montrose City Council.
