2024 ADVANCE COLORADO

POLICY AGENDA

To kick off 2024 -- and the new legislative session at the State Capitol -- Advance Colorado has released our 2024 Policy Agenda.

The agenda titled Moving Colorado Forward contains common-sense reforms in education, criminal justice, and fiscal policy.

Included in the agenda are specific issues that would protect TABOR, provide substantial property tax relief, address the rising rates of crime and illegal drug use, improve mental health services, and empower parents with more control over their children’s education.

“Coloradans know that the status quo has our state on the wrong track,” said Michael Fields, Advance Colorado President. “We need a positive agenda that will protect taxpayers, empower parents, and make communities safer.”

Fields detailed the policy agenda in an opinion piece published yesterday in The Denver Gazette.

Get your copy of the Moving Colorado Forward agenda HERE.

Watch for updates on the agenda’s progress throughout the coming weeks!

COURT BACKS ADVANCE COLORADO LAWSUIT AGAINST SECRET LEGISLATIVE BALLOT

In a victory for open and transparent state government, a Denver judge ruled that the Colorado Legislature’s secret voting system for pending legislation is a violation of Colorado’s Open Meetings Law. Advance Colorado and the Public Trust Institute had filed against the system in 2023.

The lawsuit challenged the so-called “quadratic voting” system where legislators secretly ranked bills before they are considered publicly, allowing legislative leaders to learn in advance, and away from the glare of citizen scrutiny, which measures have adequate support to move forward – and which do not.

“This illegal system let legislators off the hook from having to take public positions on legislation which keeps their constituents from knowing where their elected officials stand,” said Advance Colorado President Michael Fields. “The essence of our Open Meetings Law is to ensure that official business, including voting on bills, is done in public. The court was right to invalidate this secret voting system which was deliberately designed to keep Coloradans in the dark and help legislators avoid taking heat back in their districts. The public was thus deprived of the ability to know how their elected representatives voted to prioritize pending legislation, hampering their ability to hold their representatives accountable for how they cast their votes.”

Read a selection of the news coverage of this major legal victory on Colorado Public Radio HERE and The Durango Herald HERE.

COLORADO REVERSES COURSE ON PLAN TO TARGET RELIGIOUS PRESCHOOLS AFTER ADVANCE COLORADO PRESSURE

Following a detailed letter from Advance Colorado, the state abandoned a plan to retroactively ban religious preschool and early childhood programs from participating in the new universal preschool program, striking a blow against unconstitutional religious discrimination.

We had threatened legal action if the plan had been implemented.

“This is a huge win for parents who want to choose a faith-based preschool for their young children,” said Advance Colorado Executive Vice President Kristi Burton Brown. “It’s crystal clear that the state can’t treat some Colorado families differently just because they are religious. Abandoning this poorly conceived, discriminatory proposal was a very wise move.”

Last month, Advance Colorado sent a letter to state officials, including Gov. Jared Polis, detailing how under recent federal case precedent (most notably the 2022 case Carson v. Makin) since the State is offering funding to secular private schools, it may not ban religious private schools. To do so would be to illegally discriminate against and deprive Colorado families who prefer that their child is educated in a religious environment.

Read a copy of Advance Colorado's letter HERE

Read coverage of the issue in Chalkbeat HERE

NEXT COHORT OF NEW LEADER PROGRAM LAUNCHES NEXT WEEK. SIGN UP TODAY!

The next cohort of our New Leader Program begins on January 15. Do you know somebody who might make a fantastic conservative leader in their community?

The Advance Colorado New Leader Program is the perfect opportunity for individuals seeking a leadership role at the local or state level, the boardroom, the classroom, or within their own neighborhood.

New Leaders will participate in a 5-week program designed to motivate and sharpen the fundamental skills all leaders need to succeed. Participants will learn from and engage with a host of subject matter experts who can help promote leaders to the highest level of competence. New Leaders will also be given the opportunity to network with experts and elected officials who have seen the good, weathered the storms, and achieved success at all levels of leadership. At the conclusion of the 5-week program, New Leaders will be given access to a rich library of resources to continue on their road to success as well as become part of a robust network that will encourage and support them throughout their leadership journey.

You can learn more here.

Just send your friends and family to this link and we'll reach out to them!

❤ SUPPORT ADVANCE COLORADO

Are you interested in supporting Advance Colorado’s efforts? Gifts are tax-deductible under section 501(c)3 of federal tax law.

Mail your check today to:

Advance Colorado
1312 17th Street
#2029
Denver, CO 80202

1312 17th Street, Unit #2029, Denver, CO, 80202, United States of America

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