Senate introduces bill to raise K–12 funding and submit a ballot question

The Colorado Senate introduced Senate Bill 135 on March 5, 2026, a proposal that would increase state appropriations for K–12 public education by up to 2% annually for 10 years and submit a related question to the state’s voters. The bill was read by the clerk as authored by Senators Bridges and Kipp and Representatives Bacon and Lukens.

The clerk read the bill summary into the record: “Concerning public education K–12 funding and, in connection therewith, increasing appropriations for state public education K–12 by up to 2% for 10 years using the increased appropriations for district school financing factor funding, allowing the state to retain an amount of state revenue in excess of the limitation on state fiscal year spending equal to state public K through 12 education funding and submitting a ballot question to the registered electors of the state.” The reading was entered by the clerk as part of bill introductions.

Why it matters: if enacted and approved by voters, SB135 would change how the state treats revenue above the constitutional limit on fiscal year spending by directing retained excess revenue toward K–12 financing and would increase the statewide funding baseline through a decade-long program. The bill’s text, as read, ties the retained revenue and the funding increases directly to district school financing factors.

Next steps: the bill was introduced and moved to the Finance Committee for further consideration. No committee debate or vote on the measure was recorded in this session; the clerk’s reading constituted the formal introduction on the Senate floor.

Attribution: quotes and the bill summary in this article were taken from the clerk’s reading on the Senate floor (Clerk).