Governed by ideology: Colorado’s silent revolution against top-down overreach

By Laureen Boll | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Since late December 2025, we’ve all been witness to the Iranian people rising in extraordinary defiance against an oppressive regime. Sparked initially by economic collapse but quickly evolving into broad demands for freedom and an end to clerical rule, these nationwide protests have seen millions take to the streets in what many describe as the most intense challenge to the Islamic Republic since the 1979 revolution.

The regime’s response has been savage: security forces unleashed massacres, particularly in early January 2026, with credible estimates from human rights groups putting the death toll in the tens of thousands. Iranians have made the ultimate sacrifice in this fight against a religious ideology that no longer aligns with a sophisticated, educated populace yearning for dignity, autonomy, and basic human rights.

The people of Colorado are not so dissimilar from the Iranians: both are governed by an ideology that brooks little dissent and reshapes society from the top down. Of course, Colorado’s ideologues are not as dangerous as Iran’s—not by a long shot.

There are no mass executions or morality police. The dangers here are more muted but insidious: they advance through legislation, school policies, and regulations. Yet the effect is no less corrosive to liberty and family sovereignty.

We’re now halfway through the 2026 Colorado legislative session — and seven years into one-party rule — and it’s not looking good.

A progressive ideology has captured the statehouse.

It assigns special rights to favored groups (transgender-identifying individuals, in particular), rams through aggressive green energy mandates despite crushing costs to families, and most dangerously, wedges government directly into the parent-child relationship.

Children as young as 12 can now consent to mental health treatment without their parents’ knowledge; the iMatter program connects kids to free counseling without parental oversight; and school districts routinely affirm gender transitions while hiding critical information from moms and dads.

Families hoped for relief on housing, energy costs, and safety. Instead, they got the opposite.

This session, lawmakers killed critical protections for children in rapid succession: bills imposing life sentences for child sex traffickers; creating a registry to stop predators from moving between schools; safeguarding minors from sex-altering interventions; and protecting girls’ sports and privacy.

All died on party-line votes. Ideology consistently trumped child safety.

The economic toll is mounting. TIAA fled Denver for Texas citing cost savings. Palantir recently moved its headquarters to Miami, citing onerous state regulations. Restaurants are closing in droves under rising minimum wages, crime, and red tape.

Now Democrats are pushing massive new tax hikes on employers.

Meanwhile, the Public Utilities Commission (which is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate) is forcing a costly phase-out of natural gas heating — used by 70% of households — that will more than double many families’ energy bills.

This is not governance. It is ideological imposition.

But Coloradans haven’t surrendered. Through an inspiring 100% grassroots effort, Protect Kids Colorado gathered enough signatures to place three powerful ballot initiatives before voters this November: Proposition 108 (life sentences for child sex traffickers), Proposition 109 (protecting girls’ sports), and Proposition 110 (banning sex-change surgeries on minors).

These measures poll extremely well because they reflect basic common sense.

These initiatives are crucial. They will deliver important protections that a captured legislature refuses to provide.

Yet let us be clear: passing these three propositions will not solve the deeper problem. Ballot measures can block some of the worst excesses, but they cannot stop the endless stream of illiberal, regressive bills coming out of the Capitol.

Only by electing principled representatives who actually protect the individual rights and liberties of Coloradans can we begin to reverse this ideological capture and restore sanity to state government.

This November, apathy is not an option. Voting on the three citizen-led ballot initiatives as well as legislative seats is an opportunity to have your voice heard. Our children’s safety, our daughters’ opportunities, our families’ autonomy, and Colorado’s future are on the line.

The Capitol may be captured by ideology, but the ballot box still belongs to the people. This November, it’s time to take our state back.

A Coloradan since the 1970s, Laureen is a dedicated parent and advocate for individual dignity and academic excellence in K-12 education, and she is passionate about preserving the independent spirit and values of her beloved home state.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.