Friends All,
I received this very insightful piece of messaging from the Colorado Democratic Party. I felt compelled to share it with all of you.
I'm hearing that some of us don't think the Democratic Candidates are progressive enough. Let me assure you that your vote matters regardless of whether you agree with our Democratic Candidates on 100% of the issues or on 50%. I'm confident that the candidates running for office in Douglas County and those running in statewide races are far better than any Republican running. Democracy is at stake. Please don't be the one to say, gee I wish I had voted, or gee I wish I had worked harder to get others to vote.
-- Angela Thomas, Chair, Douglas County Democratic Party
Listed below are examples of what we could face in Colorado if we don't bother to vote and therefore let Republicans win. References to House Bills (HB) and Senate Bills (SB) are examples of legislation actually introduced by Republicans. These are examples of what they want.
The Republican Party in Colorado has changed and become every bit as extreme as the GOP in DC. Lauren Boebert was once an outlier of the Colorado GOP; she is now their standard-bearer.
Public schools are taken over by corporate, religious, and right-wing political censorship interests with requirements to arm every teacher and an end to full-day kindergarten. (HB22-1136, HB22-1203, SB22-071).
Abortion (miscarriage and in vitro fertilization) becomes a crime with no exception for rape, incest or life of the mother (HB22-1079). A call for imprisonment of abortion providers (HB22-1047) and a public website created naming women who have had abortions (HB22-1075).
Corporations and billionaires don’t pay their fair share of taxes and taxes and costs go up for middle and low-income Coloradans. (HB22-1125, HB22-1021, HB 20-1420, HB21-1311, HB21-1312).
Public services go unfunded while grift and greed privatize public services for the private profit of their campaign donors. (HB22-1125, HB22-1021).
Housing costs increase as renters and homeowners lose rights and the affordable housing fund is eliminated. (HB19-1245)
Insurance costs go up, and coverage goes down as Colorado Republicans vote to remove coverage for maternity care, in vitro fertilization and mental health care at the same time as removing rate oversight by the insurance commissioner to protect against unjustified rate hikes. They would, however, authorize use of off-label drugs (i.e. horse de-wormer for COVID) (HB22-1015). Hospitals could charge an additional “sustainability fee” to patients' bills in order to increase profitability. (SB22-038).
Workers lose wages, rights and safe working conditions. Colorado Republicans have voted against civil rights, increases in minimum wages, paid sick leave, retirement protections, and the rights of workers to organize for better pay and working conditions. (HB22-1367, HB22-1354, SB20-205, SB22-230, HB22-1308, HB22-1230)
LGBTQ Coloradans lose rights to marry, adopt and raise children, participate equally in society and work free from discrimination. (HB20-1063, HB20-1144, HB20-1272, HB20-1033, HB20-1114, HB20-1273).
End Vote-By-Mail & Ballot Drop Off System in Colorado, reduce polling locations, and create new barriers to exercising the constitutional right to vote. (HB22-1204)
More pollution and climate setbacks as Republicans roll back clean air regulations and environmental controls on oil and gas, weaken or eliminate policies for renewable energy (HB22-1020) and tilt the review process for industry at the expense of the public. (SB22-129, SB22-138)
More violent felons will have more guns as they would remove sheriff oversight to concealed carry permits, repeal criminal background checks, repeal magazine limits and red flag laws that allow intervention for temporary firearm retrieval when a person is a demonstrated risk to themselves or others. (HB21-1298, HB21-1082, HB19-1177)
Rural communities lose funding for broadband, rural hospitals, rural transportation and economic development along with student loan incentives to attract teachers and healthcare providers. (HB22-1308)
Reversal of racial justice work to advance racial equity in education, health care, small business, criminal justice and police reforms. (SB20-217, SB21-194, HB22-1196)
Weaken public safety by limiting the ability of the Governor or Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to declare or respond to public disasters (HB22-1238) and invalidating all, otherwise lawful, federal warrants, searches and seizures that do not get approved by the local sheriff, even if probable cause is already established and approved by a judge.
Loss of freedoms for Coloradans to live the life they choose, marry the person they love, and to make their own life and healthcare decisions. Colorado Republicans have a narrow version of religion and seek to legislatively impose their religious views on others.
Republicans are no longer focused on the economy or helping regular people but instead have become obsessed with waging culture wars: abortion, Disney, banning books, threatening school board members and election officials and legally bullying trans-gender kids.
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