I am pleased that Colorado voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition EE, showing strong support for early learning. Proposition EE will initiate a tax on nicotine vaping products and increase the tobacco tax to secure revenue for universal preschool beginning in 2023.

Youth in Colorado have had access to nicotine and vaping products, with low or no taxation at all, and young children have had limited access to high quality early education. Proposition EE will help address teen vaping, and bolster learning opportunities for young children.

Colorado has some of the lowest funding for early learning in the nation. For example, the Colorado Preschool Program is unable to serve over 60% of eligible students due to lack of sufficient funding despite research showing the great importance of healthy early childhood education. Passage of Proposition EE will help make Colorado a leader in early learning and dramatically increase early learning opportunities for children.

Research has shown that access to healthy early childhood education has positive impacts on children’s linguistic, social, and cognitive skills, as well as overall literacy. Furthermore, early childhood education significantly contributes to the development of creativity and intellectual skills at a young age.

As an educator and Save the Children Action Network (SCAN) advocate, I applaud Colorado voters for passing Proposition EE, and making Colorado just one of five states to offer universal preschool. I now urge state lawmakers to prioritize early learning in the year ahead, and help create the systems necessary to build a strong universal preschool program.