By Carolyn Martin

According to a recent article by the America First Policy Institute, “Currently, there are 75 school choice programs in 34 states with 18 states offering Education Savings Accounts (ESAs)”. School choice, in this case, is not just about a parent’s right to direct the education of their child, but the implication is that the government funds that choice. Unsurprisingly, there aren’t any articles telling you about all the bills attempting to increase regulation on all these newly created school choice programs.

At a recent conference for homeschool leaders, those fighting for homeschool freedom in Arizona revealed that over twenty-five bills were brought last year alone that sought to regulate homeschoolers using government funding. There were many other testimonies of legislative fights against increased oversight and regulation from states across the nation. HSLDA revealed that both red and blue states are seeing an uptick in legislation seeking to regulate homeschoolers. There are many factors that have contributed to this rise in legislation, but one thing is for sure – government funding always brings additional regulations to all homeschoolers.

By Carolyn Martin (CHEC Director of Government Relations)

On your November ballot this year, you will see 14 statewide ballot measures. Half of them were brought to you by the legislature; the other half by special interest groups. Half of them will make changes to the Colorado Constitution (the Amendments); the other half are statutory changes (the Propositions). Remember, the legislature is the lawmaking body of our government and can make changes to any law, even those approved by the voters.

Below is a brief explanation of the measures and some resources for you to explore on your journey to becoming an informed voter. General questions you should ask yourself are: 1) Is this the role of government? 2) Does it violate our US Constitution? and 3) Does it preserve the God-ordained jurisdictions of family and church?

Note: The question on the ballot for each measure will not include the fullness of the changes being made. Neither will the Blue Book give you the full wording. Follow the links below to read the full text of each measure. Now is the time to start!