by Colleen Enos (CHEC Director of Government Relations)

“Woke” does not begin to describe the ideological beliefs of the majority in the Colorado legislature. They have become bold in their desire to reorder our lives in accordance with two basic ideological beliefs. First, there is no intrinsic value to human life. It is a commodity to be disposed of at will, and the destruction of pre-born life is a required service in every emergency room. Second, there is no such thing as a person’s sex; it is merely a “gender identity” seen through “gender expression.”

Ryan Anderson explains that the origins of “trans” thinking come from cultural breakdown and fear, among other things. “Too many people were afraid to say that the emperor has no clothes,” he reasons. The transgender religion has taken Colorado by storm. These beliefs were the basis of the last two weeks and final days of the 2025 Colorado Legislative Session.

Promoting the transgender craze in our state, HB25-1312, Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals, was likely the most controversial bill debated this session. After opponents to the bill held a press conference and rally before it was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Julie Gonzales limited testimony to eight hours. The majority of citizens who opposed the bill were not allowed to speak, even though they vastly outnumbered the proponents of the bill. The bill was amended extensively to remove the sections with the most objections, but significant issues remain. They include threats to parental rights, religious liberty, and free speech. 

During the debate on May 6th in the Colorado Senate, Senator Chris Kolker recounted an email that was sent to him regarding HB25-1312: “This email says, basically, ‘I’m accountable to almighty God, because I’m standing up for equality, that my decisions, one day, I will stand before Him and be accountable.’” Later, he said, “Well, on my day of judgment, I might be standing in front of trans Jesus, I don’t know.” Clearly, this senator felt justified in mocking Christianity. After the bill was passed in the Senate and sent back to the House for concurrence, Majority Leader Monica Duran invoked Rule 16 to cut off all debate and repass the bill. Calls for Governor Polis to veto are ringing out.

HB25-1309, Protect Access to Gender-Affirming Health Care, was the final bill that the Colorado House passed on Wednesday, May 7th, immediately before adjourning for the session. Knowing the contentiousness of the bill that forces all citizens in Colorado to pay for healthcare that covers transgender treatments and surgeries, Democrats in the House saved it for the very end. Another bill entitled Health Insurance Affordability Enterprise Update, HB25-1297, was crammed into HB25-1309 to ensure its passage as well. Multiple Republicans spoke against the bill, which ultimately passed on a mostly party-line vote, apart from one Democrat joining the opposition. 

SB25-130, Providing Emergency Medical Services, was debated in the Colorado House on May 2nd, just five days before the end of the session. It ultimately passed on May 6th when the Senate voted to concur with the House amendments and repassed it. The bill focuses on abortion and requires all emergency rooms in Colorado to provide abortions with no exemption for doctors who hold a sincere religious belief against the procedure. (Ectopic pregnancies are not considered abortions since they result in the death of both the mother and fetus.) In fact, an amendment that was offered to provide this exemption was rejected. There must be a doctor on call who is ready and willing to perform the procedure. This is problematic for religious hospitals that do not allow abortions in their facilities.

Last, HB25-1259, In Vitro Fertilization Protection and Gamete Donation Requirements, was debated for the final time on the House floor on the last day of the session. The bill specifically delineates that individuals have the right to “use gametes and embryos, destroy gametes and embryos, and including the right to donate gametes and embryos to third parties for procreation or research” (page 5, lines 17-19). Yes, in Colorado, experimenting on human embryos for research is allowed, incredibly. Representative Brandi Bradley and Ken DeGraff gave passionate speeches on this bill that the majority ignored. This is the “human life is a commodity” mentality at work.

Thus ended the 2025 Colorado General Assembly Legislative Session.

The United States has a new administration that is heading away from “woke” thinking. However, Colorado is running headlong in the opposite direction. If Coloradans do not correct our leaders by electing common-sense candidates in 2026, we may find ourselves beyond correction.

To review all bills from the legislative session, 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.