By BRIAN PORTER | Rocky Mountain Voice
Rep. Scott Bottoms may have learned Tuesday that perception is indeed reality.
Despite multiple attempts to position his House Bill 25-1145 as another attempt to hold accountable child traffickers he has witnessed operating over two decades, his bill was shredded in the House’s Judiciary Committee for surface concerns it was rather an anti-abortion, anti-transgender bill.
“This is a bill trying to stop trafficking and the abuse of our children,” said Bottoms, a Colorado Springs pastor. “This is another shot at just trying to put these people in jail.”
The bill would prohibit the taking, or trafficking, of a minor across state lines into Colorado for the purpose of reproductive health-care services. It was postponed indefinitely by a 7-4 party line vote, after Republican Rep. Ryan Armagost’s motion to allow it to proceed failed.
“This bill is not an anti-trafficking bill,” said Democrat Rep. Lorena Garcia. “This bill is a poorly disguised anti-choice bill.”
In directing her comments to transgender advocates in the audience, Garcia called it a “direct assault” on them and “your identities”.
The hearing was contentious from the start, with Democrat Chairman Rep. Javier Mabrey warning the committee and audience to “be respectful” and that hearing the legislation “will be tough for some”.
The bill sought to make the taking of a minor across state lines into Colorado for the purposes cited by Bottoms a Class 2 felony.
“This is the darkest among us causing these things to children,” he said, noting that those engaged in the activity “has nothing to do with whether it is legal in their state”.
He says the activity stems from “a local pimp, a local trafficker” wanting to conceal the activity from authorities where they reside.
“I’ve talked with kids that have had 8, 9 and 10 abortions or more,” Bottoms said, noting 14,000 abortions were performed last year in Colorado and 106 minors were brought across state lines for the procedures. “This is one of the darkest things we are doing to our children across the United States.”
Jack Teter, the regional director of government affairs for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, pushed back on Bottoms’ assertion it is a child trafficking bill.
“This bill is not about protecting kids,” he said. “This bill is disgusting.”
Another witness, investigative journalist Jordan Baldwin, countered Teter’s position.
“Abortion is being performed on young children, and is covered up,” he said, noting his prior participation with Project Veritas and as co-founder of First Amendment Media.
Bottoms had furthered the position in his earlier presentation of the bill. He noted a 13-year-old being trafficked across state lines into Colorado who doesn’t “have the ability to make this choice”.
“A minor being taken across state lines is literally the definition of trafficking,” he said. “Why would they come here? It is to hide what is going on [from local authorities].”
But the Democrat-dominated committee wasn’t having it. One member defined her opposition as “enthusiastic” in support of diversity and to strengthen LGBT protections.
Democrat Rep. Yara Zokaie said her vote was a “proud no” and told Bottoms, “If the goal is to keep kids safe from sex trafficking, I cannot see how the bill does that.”
Mabrey closed the meeting making the bill about President Donald Trump.
“This is an incredibly difficult time in this country. Things are not normal, if you are an immigrant. Things are not normal, if you are trans or LGBT,” he said. “The President of the United States is attacking our communities.”
The Democrat admonished “too many in my own party” for not “speaking up and doing enough”.