by Colleen Enos (CHEC Director of Government Relations)

Colorado is on a roll. Violating religious liberty and compelling free speech are two issues that Colorado Courts have already been reprimanded for. Our Courts lost two civil rights lawsuits – Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission and 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis – in addition to being overturned by the United States Supreme Court in the decision that was supposed to throw Donald Trump off the 2024 Colorado Presidential Election ballot. Now, we are doing it all over again.

On Friday, May 16th, Governor Polis quietly signed HB25-1312, Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals, into law. There was no ceremony or statement from the Governor, just an administrative signature. When you are trying to keep things out of the headlines, less is more. 

But his efforts were to no avail, as two lawsuits representing six different groups have already been filed against the State of Colorado over the newly signed legislation. Defending Education, Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, Protect Kids Colorado, Do No Harm, Dr. Travis Morrell, and the women’s sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics are all Plaintiffs in the lawsuits. The media have not cooperated with the Governor either, as Fox News and Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire clearly did not get the memo.

Of course, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), which HB25-1312 amends, has been modified as well. The changes increase penalties for violations of CADA due to the passage of another bill, HB25-1239, Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, that Governor Polis signed into law on May 22nd. Individuals can be fined $5,000 per person injured or up to $50,000 for non-economic injuries. For Coloradans who agree with the biblical and biological truth of two sexes, our state wants to punish them more, not less.

Two overall themes of the last Legislative Session were the budget shortfall of $1.2 billion and the Democratic resistance against the new Trump administration. Even though the overall budget was $3 billion more than last year, the deficit was plugged by shuffling money around, using cash funds, and eliminating programs. The lawmakers even created a Colorado Defense Fund with HB25-1321, Support Against Adverse Federal Action, to the tune of $4 million, in order to strengthen the budget against potential funding cuts made by the Trump administration. 

Multiple bill debates began with Democrats stating their opposition to President Trump and couching their bill as the manifestation of that opposition. SB25-276, Protect Civil Rights and Immigration Status, was clearly aimed at immigration enforcement through ICE by the current administration. The bill expands protections for illegal immigrants while ignoring Coloradans’ safety. Evidently, Tren de Aragua needed a helping hand.

Our Governor and the Democratic majority in the State House and Senate are transforming Colorado into something unrecognizable. It is time to stand up and fight back.

In Him,

Colleen Enos

CHEC Director of Government Relations

P.S. Are you considering homeschooling your children, but need some information and direction? Sign up today for the Rocky Mountain Homeschool Conference taking place on June 12-14 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center. There will be great speakers, workshops, curriculum shopping, and a ton of fun!! Go here for more information and to register.

About the Author: Colleen Enos

Colleen is a homeschooling mom of eight who just completed schooling her last two children. Her children range in age from 19 to 35 years old. She has been married to her husband, Mark, for 38 years, and they are now grandparents to five grandbabies. She has been a speech and debate coach for 17 years, pouring her time, effort, and energy into preparing the next generation to speak truth into our culture. Colleen serves homeschool families as the CHEC Director of Government Relations and is working hard to safeguard homeschool freedom through her work with the legislature. You can reach Colleen at colleen@chec.org.