Colorado voters have a crucial opportunity this election cycle to directly shape policies that impact civil rights and liberties. As extremism rises, mirroring national trends like Project 2025, it’s vital for Coloradans to unite and ensure our state remains a bastion for fundamental rights. This Colorado Ballot Guide 2024, brought to you by conduct.edu.vn, breaks down the key ballot measures, empowering you to make informed decisions at the ballot box. Several measures demand our opposition to safeguard our progress, while others deserve our support to solidify essential freedoms.
Measures to Oppose: Rejecting Extremist Agendas
Certain ballot initiatives this year are not what they seem. Backed by the same extremist networks pushing Project 2025, these measures employ deceptive language to mask their anti-civil rights goals. It’s crucial to see through the guise and understand the true impact of these propositions.
Proposition 128: The False Promise of “Tough on Crime”
Proposition 128 is deceptively framed as a public safety measure, increasing incarceration time before parole eligibility for specific violent offenses. However, this “tough on crime” approach is ineffective and counterproductive. Instead of reducing crime, Prop 128 will escalate state spending on prisons, compromise the safety of correctional officers, and dismantle crucial “good behavior” incentives within the prison system.
This proposition is designed to keep individuals, even those with a low risk of re-offending, incarcerated for longer periods, swelling prison populations and inflating costs in Colorado. The proponents of Prop 128 are using fear tactics rather than offering genuine solutions to address the root causes of criminal behavior or enhance public safety. Furthermore, by undermining earned time credit, this policy diminishes safety within prisons by discouraging participation in rehabilitation programs, including education and mental health services.
Proposition 130: Misleading Claims of Funding First Responders
Proposition 130 falsely advertises itself as a funding mechanism for first responders. In reality, it exclusively restricts funds to local law enforcement, excluding firefighters, EMTs, and mental health professionals who are also critical first responders. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that Colorado already allocates more funding per capita to law enforcement than 75% of other states in the nation.
Despite this existing investment, Prop 130 diverts even more resources to local law enforcement, jeopardizing funding for other essential services demonstrably effective in enhancing public safety. These crucial services include education resources, mental health support, co-responder programs, and community development initiatives. Alarmingly, the government funding mandated by Prop 130 lacks oversight and prohibits its use for alternative responses or diversion programs, limiting effective and community-based approaches to public safety.
Amendment 80: The “School Choice” Trojan Horse
“School choice” is already established and legally protected in Colorado since 1994. Colorado parents currently possess the right to choose from public, charter, private, or home schooling options for their children. Amendment 80, deceptively presented as safeguarding “school choice,” is a Trojan horse designed to introduce a statewide voucher program.
Voucher programs misuse public taxpayer funds to subsidize private schools. This diversion of resources critically undermines already underfunded public schools, funneling taxpayer money to private institutions that often discriminate against students and families and are not held to the same state education standards or requirements to serve all students. Public schools educate 95% of Colorado’s children, and Amendment 80 jeopardizes the education of the vast majority to benefit a privileged few already attending private schools.
Beyond the financial implications, Amendment 80 poses a broader threat. Proponents will exploit the proposed “constitutional right of a parent to direct their child’s education” to justify censorship, ban books, eliminate race, ethnicity, or sex education from curricula, sue schools for adhering to non-discrimination laws, and disrupt school activities in numerous ways. Protect public education and keep extremist censorship out of Colorado classrooms by voting NO on Amendment 80.
Measures to Support: Protecting Privacy and Autonomy
Two statewide ballot measures this year offer Colorado the chance to codify crucial privacy and autonomy rights into law. Passing Amendments J and 79 will strengthen Coloradans’ freedoms, providing a vital buffer against potential future U.S. Supreme Court decisions that could erode civil rights and liberties.
Amendment J: Affirming Marriage Equality
The Colorado Constitution currently contains an outdated amendment banning same-sex marriage. Amendment J rectifies this by officially and permanently repealing this discriminatory ban, unequivocally affirming Colorado’s support for same-sex marriage within the state Constitution. This proactive measure is essential to safeguard marriage equality in Colorado against any future federal rollbacks. Vote YES on Amendment J to protect the freedom to marry for all Coloradans.
Amendment 79: Enshrining Reproductive Rights
Every individual should have the autonomy to make personal decisions about pregnancy and abortion, free from political interference. Amendment 79 codifies access to abortion, IVF, and birth control directly into the Colorado Constitution. A YES vote on Amendment 79 will enshrine the right for everyone within our state’s borders, regardless of insurance coverage, to access essential reproductive healthcare privately and without fear of prosecution.
Conclusion: Your Vote Matters in 2024
This Colorado Ballot Guide 2024 highlights the critical choices facing Colorado voters. By understanding the implications of each ballot measure, you can participate in direct democracy and shape the future of our state. Reject the deceptive measures that undermine civil rights and embrace those that protect fundamental freedoms. Make your voice heard and vote in the 2024 election to safeguard civil rights in Colorado.
