Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Colorado Attorney General fil Wiser joining a lawsuit earlier this
week calling for the release of six point eight billion
dollars in K twelve education funds, eighty million of that
in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
At the Trump.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Administration with health two weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Space learned that the funds would be withheld just one
day of notice. On one day of notice, leaving districts
scrambling to pay for programs as the start of the
upcoming school year nears. This money already approved by Congress.
And joining us now in the KA Commas Spirit Health
hotline is Attorney General Phil Wiser, Mister Attorney General, Welcome
back to Colorado's Morning News the lawsuit. I want to
at least understand getting a little granular here. Is it
(00:36):
about the fact that these funds have already been approved
by Congress, so he has the president has no right
to take them away? Is or is it something more
or different than that?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Marty, You have nailed it and it's sadly a familiar story. Email.
Remember a couple weeks ago there were mental health funds
that were dedicated for students. This came from a congressional
action after the Evolved shooting making sure young people were
supported in terms of their mental health. Those funds are
mandated to go out and they were being withheld. So
(01:07):
that was a lawsuit that is on the same theory
as this lawsuit. These are funds, as you noted, eighty
million for Colorado that includes how to use technology in
the classroom. Colorado has this great company, Magic School, that
is working with a lot of Cardo classrooms helping teachers
use AI to teach better and to be able to
be more effective. Or how do we help provide student
(01:29):
support for students who are struggling. And there are actually
programs for adult learners too, literacy and civic education. These
are funds that for decades have always gone out this
time of year, and now school budgets have a hole
blown in them with no notice, with no legal justification.
And I was on the Western slopal companies to go
right as has happened. I was hearing about this from superintendents.
(01:50):
They were furious because for them, it's putting them to
terrible choices. I had no choice but to go to
court and to fight for Colorado.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
The Trump administration says it's holding the funds for review
of quote the program's consistency with the president's priorities. So
with the programs that could be in jeopardy, does it
seem like it does align with the president's priorities.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I don't know what the president's priorities are when it
comes to education, but if the priorities are not helping
kids learn, helping teachers teach, helping our public schools prepare
people at a time when we still have learning loss
from the COVID pandemic, then those priorities are the wrong place.
I know my priorities are. My prairies are to fight
for our kids and to make sure teachers have the support,
(02:33):
have the infrastructure they need to be effective. Our public
schools have an incredibly important mission in Colorado. They're strapped
and they're struggling, and to take these funds away is
just wrong. So I really I'm beyond understanding what this is.
I find this action so deeply troubling. We're going to
fight in court. I'm confident we're going to win, and
(02:53):
we need just what our public schools and public teachers
better than we're doing.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
If I can't, I just want to set the lawsuit
aside for a se Mister Attorney General, just philosophically, or legally.
Does the President have the right to reform or gut
the Department of Education even if this isn't the way
to do it. Does he have a right to say,
we need to make changes, and these are the changes
I want to do.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Absolutely, the president can and should do things the right way.
Had the President gone to Congress and said, I've got
a different vision for the role of the Department of Education,
including I'd like to not have a Department of Education,
or I'd like the Department Education to fund different programs,
that's the way our system works. Congress has the power
(03:33):
of the purse. Under the Constitution, there's a separation of powers.
The president can't unilaterally rewrite the budget that Congress mandated.
The president can undermine Congress's directors. The president, under the Constitution,
has the requirement to quote unquote faithfully excuse the laws.
That's not happening here. That's why we're forced to go to.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Court Attorney general for why is there pivoting conversations here?
You also joined a coalition of state attorneys general's in
urging Congress to ban the use of masked and plane
clothed ice agents during operations. First question to you is
Is this an issue? Are we seeing this here in Colorado?
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yes, We're seeing it all over the US, and I
just want to start with how we do things in Colorado.
I oversee a system under Caudal Law of law enforcement
integrity ensuring trust in law enforcement. That system includes every
law enforcement officer does have identified who they are, does
(04:37):
have a body cam, so that there is transparency and
trust in law enforcement. This is something that's very important
for the public to know. We can't have public safety
unless we have trust in law enforcement. Having masked agents
who are not identified in any way is a hazard
for law enforcement and can undermine public safety. One concern
(04:59):
that we're here more and more are people trying to
imitate looking like ICE agents, acting like Ice agents, and
that's kidnapping. But now they can just pretend what they're
doing is being an ICE agent, and then people aren't
sure what to do. This is a problem from a
public safety perspective, it's a problem from a trust in
law enforcement perspective. That's why myself and other state Attorneys
(05:21):
generals are raising our voice.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I know that the ICE pushback is that they wear
the mask. They have it to protect them and keep
them safe and protect their families and identities. What's your
reaction to that.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
There are exceptional situations we talked without as in the letter,
where you could have a situation, for example, you're going
after a dangerous drug cartel and you're concerned about your safety.
That is an exceptional situation. That range of the tensions, arrests,
enforcement actions that we're talking about are people who you know,
(05:56):
could include agriculture workers or hospitality workers, people who there's
no sign that there's any possible threat, and yet the
actions taken by ICE agents in those situations are wearing masks.
That doesn't really make sense, That doesn't hold up to
the justication you just offered.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Attorney General Phil Wiser. With the minute we have left
just curious because sometimes it's hard to keep track of
how many we're at now, how many lawsuits are there
currently against the Trump administration that Colorado is now a
part of, and how many have been settled or how
many have come to some type of final outcome.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Geane, that's a good question. We're with the one we're
just talking about today, the education lawsuit at number twenty eight,
and the situation is fluid. There are a few of
the cases where we've received a preliminary injunction that requires
the funding that we're fighting for, or that's a stop
(06:54):
to the action that we're contesting, and that preliminary junction
is not necessarily be appealed. That doesn't mean we have
a permanent injunction yet. So in one form another, all
twenty eightter on going. There are other cases like the
birthright citizenship case that went all the way to the
Supreme Court involving this question about a universal injunction that's
now back on remand to the District Court. So twenty
(07:16):
eight cases, they're all still in one form another. We
have continued to push in many cases for this relief,
first the tempers Anumar Enterplanar injunction. And the main point
I just want to say is in virtually every single
one of them we have been successful. I only bring
these lawsuits where I see legal merits as very compelling
and harmed to Colorado, and this is something that I'm
(07:38):
going to keep on top of. If Colorado is harmed
and the law is violated, we got to do something
about it.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Colorado Attorney General Phil Wiser, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thank you guys, as always appreciate it.
Colorado Attorney General fil Wiser joining a lawsuit earlier this
week calling for the release of six point eight billion
dollars in K twelve education funds, eighty million of that
in Colorado.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
At the Trump.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Administration with health two weeks ago.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Space learned that the funds would be withheld just one
day of notice. On one day of notice, leaving districts
scrambling to pay for programs as the start of the
upcoming school year nears. This money already approved by Congress.
And joining us now in the KA Commas Spirit Health
hotline is Attorney General Phil Wiser, Mister Attorney General, Welcome
back to Colorado's Morning News the lawsuit. I want to
at least understand getting a little granular here. Is it
(00:36):
about the fact that these funds have already been approved
by Congress, so he has the president has no right
to take them away? Is or is it something more
or different than that?
Speaker 3 (00:47):
Marty, You have nailed it and it's sadly a familiar story. Email.
Remember a couple weeks ago there were mental health funds
that were dedicated for students. This came from a congressional
action after the Evolved shooting making sure young people were
supported in terms of their mental health. Those funds are
mandated to go out and they were being withheld. So
(01:07):
that was a lawsuit that is on the same theory
as this lawsuit. These are funds, as you noted, eighty
million for Colorado that includes how to use technology in
the classroom. Colorado has this great company, Magic School, that
is working with a lot of Cardo classrooms helping teachers
use AI to teach better and to be able to
be more effective. Or how do we help provide student
(01:29):
support for students who are struggling. And there are actually
programs for adult learners too, literacy and civic education. These
are funds that for decades have always gone out this
time of year, and now school budgets have a hole
blown in them with no notice, with no legal justification.
And I was on the Western slopal companies to go
right as has happened. I was hearing about this from superintendents.
(01:50):
They were furious because for them, it's putting them to
terrible choices. I had no choice but to go to
court and to fight for Colorado.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
The Trump administration says it's holding the funds for review
of quote the program's consistency with the president's priorities. So
with the programs that could be in jeopardy, does it
seem like it does align with the president's priorities.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
I don't know what the president's priorities are when it
comes to education, but if the priorities are not helping
kids learn, helping teachers teach, helping our public schools prepare
people at a time when we still have learning loss
from the COVID pandemic, then those priorities are the wrong place.
I know my priorities are. My prairies are to fight
for our kids and to make sure teachers have the support,
(02:33):
have the infrastructure they need to be effective. Our public
schools have an incredibly important mission in Colorado. They're strapped
and they're struggling, and to take these funds away is
just wrong. So I really I'm beyond understanding what this is.
I find this action so deeply troubling. We're going to
fight in court. I'm confident we're going to win, and
(02:53):
we need just what our public schools and public teachers
better than we're doing.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
If I can't, I just want to set the lawsuit
aside for a se Mister Attorney General, just philosophically, or legally.
Does the President have the right to reform or gut
the Department of Education even if this isn't the way
to do it. Does he have a right to say,
we need to make changes, and these are the changes
I want to do.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Absolutely, the president can and should do things the right way.
Had the President gone to Congress and said, I've got
a different vision for the role of the Department of Education,
including I'd like to not have a Department of Education,
or I'd like the Department Education to fund different programs,
that's the way our system works. Congress has the power
(03:33):
of the purse. Under the Constitution, there's a separation of powers.
The president can't unilaterally rewrite the budget that Congress mandated.
The president can undermine Congress's directors. The president, under the Constitution,
has the requirement to quote unquote faithfully excuse the laws.
That's not happening here. That's why we're forced to go to.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Court Attorney general for why is there pivoting conversations here?
You also joined a coalition of state attorneys general's in
urging Congress to ban the use of masked and plane
clothed ice agents during operations. First question to you is
Is this an issue? Are we seeing this here in Colorado?
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Yes, We're seeing it all over the US, and I
just want to start with how we do things in Colorado.
I oversee a system under Caudal Law of law enforcement
integrity ensuring trust in law enforcement. That system includes every
law enforcement officer does have identified who they are, does
(04:37):
have a body cam, so that there is transparency and
trust in law enforcement. This is something that's very important
for the public to know. We can't have public safety
unless we have trust in law enforcement. Having masked agents
who are not identified in any way is a hazard
for law enforcement and can undermine public safety. One concern
(04:59):
that we're here more and more are people trying to
imitate looking like ICE agents, acting like Ice agents, and
that's kidnapping. But now they can just pretend what they're
doing is being an ICE agent, and then people aren't
sure what to do. This is a problem from a
public safety perspective, it's a problem from a trust in
law enforcement perspective. That's why myself and other state Attorneys
(05:21):
generals are raising our voice.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I know that the ICE pushback is that they wear
the mask. They have it to protect them and keep
them safe and protect their families and identities. What's your
reaction to that.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
There are exceptional situations we talked without as in the letter,
where you could have a situation, for example, you're going
after a dangerous drug cartel and you're concerned about your safety.
That is an exceptional situation. That range of the tensions, arrests,
enforcement actions that we're talking about are people who you know,
(05:56):
could include agriculture workers or hospitality workers, people who there's
no sign that there's any possible threat, and yet the
actions taken by ICE agents in those situations are wearing masks.
That doesn't really make sense, That doesn't hold up to
the justication you just offered.
Speaker 1 (06:15):
Attorney General Phil Wiser. With the minute we have left
just curious because sometimes it's hard to keep track of
how many we're at now, how many lawsuits are there
currently against the Trump administration that Colorado is now a
part of, and how many have been settled or how
many have come to some type of final outcome.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Geane, that's a good question. We're with the one we're
just talking about today, the education lawsuit at number twenty eight,
and the situation is fluid. There are a few of
the cases where we've received a preliminary injunction that requires
the funding that we're fighting for, or that's a stop
(06:54):
to the action that we're contesting, and that preliminary junction
is not necessarily be appealed. That doesn't mean we have
a permanent injunction yet. So in one form another, all
twenty eightter on going. There are other cases like the
birthright citizenship case that went all the way to the
Supreme Court involving this question about a universal injunction that's
now back on remand to the District Court. So twenty
(07:16):
eight cases, they're all still in one form another. We
have continued to push in many cases for this relief,
first the tempers Anumar Enterplanar injunction. And the main point
I just want to say is in virtually every single
one of them we have been successful. I only bring
these lawsuits where I see legal merits as very compelling
and harmed to Colorado, and this is something that I'm
(07:38):
going to keep on top of. If Colorado is harmed
and the law is violated, we got to do something
about it.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Colorado Attorney General Phil Wiser, thanks for joining us.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Thank you guys, as always appreciate it.
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