by Colleen Enos (CHEC Director of Government Relations)

While Colorado continues to grapple with an increasing budget shortfall of approximately 1.2 billion dollars due most recently to Medicaid costs, legislators are busy prioritizing the violation of medical parental rights and, along with it, the safety of our children.

The month of March began with the killing of HB25-1255, Health-Care Provider Right to Exercise Conscience, by a 7 to 4 vote along party lines. This bill gave health-care providers the right to exercise conscience to refuse to participate in a procedure that they found morally objectionable and to prevent discrimination against them for doing so. Committee members who voted against the bill indicated that they were frightened by the idea of doctors considering conscience since it was not based on medicine. 

This decision was followed closely by postponing indefinitely HB25-1257, Relinquishment of Child in Newborn Safety Device. In this bill, Representative Keltie and many testifiers tried in vain to explain the value of extending the amount of time from 72 hours to 30 days for a new mother to voluntarily relinquish her newborn at a facility equipped with a Newborn Safety Device. After hearing all the positive testimony regarding this modification of Colorado’s Safe Haven Law, I am at a loss to understand the party-line vote of 9 to 4 in favor of killing the bill.

Then came the overtly anti-parent vote on HB25–1251, Parental Consent to Treatment of a Minor. Individuals giving testimony included transgender groups, LGBTQ+ groups, and Planned Parenthood, who referred to gender-affirming care and abortion as examples of mature decision-making by minors who are 12 years old—the current Colorado age of consent for these medical procedures. 

In the second week of March, the devastating decision to kill HB25-1252, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment Regulation of Abortion Clinics, was indefensible. The bill called for the Colorado Department of Health and Environment to establish standards for health facilities that perform second-trimester and third-trimester abortions. Testimony included recounting the death of an 18-year-old girl in February of this year at a Fort Collins Planned Parenthood who died as a result of abortion complications and being transferred to the hospital too late. Treating abortion clinics like other medical clinics in the state may have prevented this tragedy. The vote was 8 to 4 along party lines to kill the bill.

Lastly, HB25–1253, Youth Health Protection Act, was postponed indefinitely with a vote of 9 to 4. This was a pro-parental-rights bill that would have given parents the right to refuse gender-affirming care, notified parents of gender issues with their child, and recognized their conscience objections to mental health care. Opponents of the bill testified that it would kill kids. Effectively, parents are not allowed to say no to any care their child wants.

It is clear that the Colorado legislature views children as adults and God-given parental rights as an inconvenient barrier to their worldview.

**Correction to Legislative Update 3-5-25: After doing more research on SB25-086, Protections for Users of Social Media, I want to clarify the bill. On page 24, there is a carve-out for the “Reproductive Health Equity Act,” which excludes enforcing anything relating to abortion. Furthermore, the bill gives social media additional tools to censor content they disagree with under the guise of enforcing their rules.

Things are speeding up as the session wears on, so please join me in prayer and keep your eyes and ears open for any upcoming bills that would threaten homeschool freedoms, parental rights, or religious liberty in Colorado. Additionally, consider testifying on a bill you care about — you can even do it remotely.

To review currently introduced bills, go here.

In Him,

Colleen Enos, CHEC Director of Government Relations

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 four and expecting another grandbaby very soon. 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.