By Colleen Enos | Commentary, Christian Home Educators of Colorado
Colorado is on a roll. Violating religious liberty and compelling free speech are two issues that Colorado Courts have already been reprimanded for. Our Courts lost two civil rights lawsuits – Masterpiece Cake Shop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission and 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis – in addition to being overturned by the United States Supreme Court in the decision that was supposed to throw Donald Trump off the 2024 Colorado Presidential Election ballot. Now, we are doing it all over again.
On Friday, May 16th, Governor Polis quietly signed HB25-1312, Legal Protections for Transgender Individuals, into law. There was no ceremony or statement from the Governor, just an administrative signature. When you are trying to keep things out of the headlines, less is more.
But his efforts were to no avail, as two lawsuits representing six different groups have already been filed against the State of Colorado over the newly signed legislation. Defending Education, Colorado Parent Advocacy Network, Protect Kids Colorado, Do No Harm, Dr. Travis Morrell, and the women’s sportswear brand XX-XY Athletics are all Plaintiffs in the lawsuits. The media have not cooperated with the Governor either, as Fox News and Ben Shapiro’s Daily Wire clearly did not get the memo.
Of course, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), which HB25-1312 amends, has been modified as well. The changes increase penalties for violations of CADA due to the passage of another bill, HB25-1239, Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, that Governor Polis signed into law on May 22nd. Individuals can be fined $5,000 per person injured or up to $50,000 for non-economic injuries. For Coloradans who agree with the biblical and biological truth of two sexes, our state wants to punish them more, not less.
READ THE FULL COMMENTARY AT CHRISTIAN HOME EDUCATORS OF COLORADO
Colleen Enos is a longtime homeschooling mom of eight, now graduated, and a grandmother of four (soon to be five). Married to her husband Mark for 38 years, she’s spent the last 17 years coaching speech and debate and now serves as the Christian Home Educators of Colorado’s (CHEC) Director of Government Relations, advocating for homeschool freedom at the state legislature. Enos writes a column post twice each month for the CHEC blog. Reach her at [email protected].
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