January 30, 2012 03:15 AM UTC

Michael Hancock Wades into ASSET Debate

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• by: Colorado Pols

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock has released a statement strenuously supporting the Colorado General Assembly’s latest attempts at tuition equity.

DENVER – Mayor Michael B. Hancock today encouraged the state Legislature to approve Senate Bill 15, the Colorado ASSET or tuition equity bill, which receives its first hearing this afternoon in the Senate Education Committee.

“Without the use of a single tax payer dollar, we can provide otherwise high performing students the opportunity to further their education and improve their chances of becoming self-sufficient adults and economic contributors to our communities,” Mayor Hancock said.

“By allowing qualified students to attend college at in-state rates, we can realize the investment we have made in them over the course of their academic career. Denver’s economic health depends on a highly skilled work force, and a college education will help these students fulfill their own potential and help strengthen our economy.

“This bill provides opportunity, flexibility and accountability. I strongly urge the Legislature to take up and pass the Colorado ASSET bill.”

Hancock’s former opponent Chris Romer was an early advocate for tuition equity, carrying then Senate Bill 170 in 2009. Romer also famously said during his Mayoral campaign that this was the one issue he was willing to lose the election for.

Romer would likely be proud of Hancock’s endorsement of an issue that the latter had promoted during his tenure as a state senator. There’s no way to be sure, of course – nobody’s heard anything out of Romer since his resignation from the Community College of Denver late last year.