By Legislative Liaison Carolyn Martin

Parental Rights
The Declaration of Independence speaks of “self-evident” truths and “unalienable” rights. Some of them were enumerated in our founding documents. Some of them were not; for example, the Founders believed that the family was the true origin of society. Could they have ever imagined that the state would not only attempt to but also succeed in taking over the authority given by God to the family? Perhaps if they had, parental rights would be one of the enumerated rights.

Last session, new laws brought an erosion of parental rights to Colorado. Parents lost the right to direct the mental health care of their children starting at 12 years old. We saw the government trample parental rights by mandating teachings that are antithetical to many families’ closely held beliefs. Executive departments continue to treat parents as guilty, leaving them to have to prove their innocence to get their children back.

Know Where Your Representatives Stand
This session, several bills that will strengthen the rights of parents to direct the upbringing, care, and education of their children have been brought forth. Each of these bills has been assigned to what insiders at the Capitol know is the “kill” committee — the State, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee. Leaders on both sides of the aisle place their strongest legislators on these committees. Unfortunately, that means unless something extraordinary happens, the bills will die in this committee. Where does your representative stand on parental rights? Ask them!

Be Ready!
It is clear that there is a deep chasm between those who believe families are at the core of our society and those who believe the government is at the core. Ultimately, it is about control. This divide extends beyond parental rights and includes issues such as: life, education, healthcare, energy, and taxes. So far only about a third of the bills have been introduced. I am closely watching and working on several bills that, in their current state, would have an impact on many homeschool families.

There will be a time this session when a call for action will go out. If we are to preserve our God-given liberties, it will take all of our voices uniting together at the Capitol. Be ready!

Stay Informed!
Want to know more about bills impacting our community? Every week I put out a prayer update email that lays out prayer points, bills of concern, and action items. If you want to stay informed and get engaged, please sign up for these emails. 

Join Me!
Weekly Prayer Meetings at the Capitol: Tuesdays at 11am, room 351. Just show up!
Meet Your Legislator Day: Thursday, January 30th at the Capitol. For more information and to register, go here.

Trusting in the mighty power and grace of Jesus,
Carolyn Martin, CHEC Legislative Liaison
carolyn@chec.org

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About the Author: Carolyn Martin

Carolyn Martin serves as CHEC’s Homeschool Legislative Liaison, working for you and other liberty-loving families to protect homeschool freedom, parental rights, and religious liberty at the state capitol. Subscribe to the CHEC blog for Carolyn’s regular updates here, learn more about legal issues in Colorado here, and donate to support Homeschool Freedom here. Contact Carolyn directly at carolyn@chec.org.