Colorado voters made choices this week that will shape kids’ lives for years to come. They chose to invest in kids by approving Proposition NN and Amendment 87. Results on Propositions 134 and 135, which The Campaign opposes because they would harm Colorado kids, are still too close to call. Whatever the final count, our focus stays the same: working with Governor-elect Weiser and the incoming legislature to make Colorado the best place to be a kid and raise a kid.
By approving Proposition NN and Amendment 87, voters chose to bring new resources to K-12 education, child care, preschool and health care at a time when federal cuts and a state budget shortfall of more than $1.5 billion threaten the programs families rely on. Now the work turns to implementation, and the details matter. We look forward to working with Governor-elect Weiser and the incoming legislature to make sure these dollars reach kids, including dedicated funding for child care, preschool and health access, alongside K-12.
“Colorado voters said yes to kids, and now we have to get it right,” said Heather Tritten, President and CEO of the Colorado Children’s Campaign. “These new dollars should show up in classrooms, child care programs, and doctor’s offices, not get lost along the way. Kids only get one childhood, and this is our chance to give every kid the chance to learn, grow, and just be kids.”
While the outcome of Propositions 134 and 135 is still unclear, our position is not: these measures would harm Colorado kids. They would take decisions that belong to families, doctors, and local school districts and give them to the government. They would open the door to invasive enforcement in schools and more bullying and exclusion for kids. The Campaign will continue to work with state leaders, school districts, health care providers, and partners to protect every child’s privacy, safety, and access to care.
“Every kid deserves to feel safe at school and cared for at the doctor’s office,” said Tritten. “Decisions about a child’s health and care belong with families and the doctors who know them, not the government. No matter how the final count lands, we’ll keep standing up for every kid’s privacy, safety, and chance to just be a kid.”
Kids can’t vote, so they count on the adults who do. As final results come in, The Campaign will keep working with families, partners, and leaders across the state to make Colorado the best place to be a kid and raise a kid.