Colorado Parental Rights Group Pushes to Repeal Controversial Competency Law

By Marissa Ventrulli | Colorado Politics

A group of parental rights advocates and Republican lawmakers is urging the Colorado legislature to repeal a 2024 law that made changes to the state’s competency procedures.

Established over the summer, the group called “We The Parents” includes members of the Colorado Parental Advocacy Network and legislators from the more conservative wing of the Republican Party: Reps. Brandi Bradley of Littleton, Stephanie Luck of Penrose, and Ken DeGraaf of Colorado Springs.

On its website, the organization describes itself as a group of parents and community leaders “who are done watching politicians ignore the voices of families.”

“We’ve watched lawmakers strip away parental rights behind closed doors,” the group’s website says. “That ends now. We are building a movement to elect bold leaders who will stand for truth and defend families.”

The website lists a number of laws passed by the Democrat-majority legislature in recent years on issues including sex education, youth mental health, abortion, and LGBTQ rights. Some of those bills had attracted bipartisan support or sponsorship.

We The Parents said cited 2021’s House Bill 1258, which established an emergency youth mental health services program during the pandemic. The bill allowed minors to access mental health treatment without parents’ consent, which the group argued breaks trust between parents and schools.

The group is also behind a petition urging the state legislature to repeal House Bill-24 1034, which requires courts to dismiss charges when a defendant is found incompetent to proceed.

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