Senate approves plan to let portion of Public School Permanent Fund invest in Colorado communities, including teacher homeownership program

Senator Frizzell pushed the Senate to approve Senate Bill 167 on final passage, saying the measure would create a new community investment portfolio inside the Colorado Public School Permanent Fund and establish an "educator first homeownership program" to support down-payment assistance for teachers and other public school staff.

The bill's sponsor, Senator Cleave Frizzell, told colleagues the measure "does not touch the principal" of the Permanent Fund and "creates an additional mechanism for investment of the principal" aimed at increasing long-term returns while directing some investment capital to Colorado communities. She said the educator program would support about 2,500 educators statewide and would fund primary residences only.

Why it matters: Backers said the measure would keep a share of state investment dollars in Colorado and help with teacher recruitment and retention in high-cost districts. Opponents warned it risks the fund's yield that currently supports K-12 grants and questioned whether the program has sufficient guardrails and sustainable funding.

Supporters…