Colorado Nears Agreement On Replenishing Schools

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado Democrat literally sang "Kumbaya" as the Senate agreed to a long-debated plan to start restoring K-12 budgets hurt by years of budget cuts.

The agreement Wednesday night came after many hours of intense haggling over the bill to give school districts $110 million to backfill recession-era spending cuts. Many school districts howled over the bill's original form, which they said attached too many strings to the money.

The Senate eventually agreed to a modified requirement on school spending transparency. One more vote is required before the measure returns to the House to rectify differences before the bill can become law.

The Senate also gave final approval Wednesday to a companion spending bill to boost school coffers. That one also returns to the House.