• Statewide Issues 

  • Current Legislation 

  • Ballot Initiatives

• National Issues

  • Pregnant & Parenting Students Access to Education Act (H.R. 5894)

  • Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act

• Colorado Youth Matter Advocacy Criteria

• Take Action!

• Sign up for Action Alerts & Newsletter

Statewide Issues

Current Legislation:

Ballot Initiatives:

Amendment 62

CYM Position: Oppose

This amendment would change the Colorado constitution to apply the term "person," as used in the sections of the Colorado bill of rights concerning inalienable rights, equality of justice, and due process of law, to every human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being.

• As stated in our advocacy goals, we believe youth should be provided access to contraception and youth-friendly reproductive health services, as well as barrier-free access to quality health care that recognizes youth as consumers of their own care.

• This amendment would limit and perhaps prohibit access to emergency contraception and other common forms of birth control.  Additionally, it would intrude in the doctor-patient relationship, limiting independent medical judgment and decision-making power of the consumer.
• For more information and to get involved please visit the official No on 62 page run by the coalition Protect Families, Protect Choices

Amendments 60, 61, & Proposition 101

CYM Position: Oppose

Amendment 60 would require school districts to cut property taxes, leaving it up to the state to replace the education funds that would subsequently be lost. Amendment 61 would prevent the state from borrowing money and would limit borrowing for local governments. And Proposition 101 would reduce the state income tax rate and slash vehicle and telecommunication fees.

• As stated in our advocacy goals, we believe all youth should have equitable educational opportunities and access to resources and services such as quality housing, childcare, and healthcare for all families.  Additionally, all youth have the right to dream and be supported in carrying out those dreams.  When youth have aspirations for their future, and resources and support to work towards those aspirations they delay parenting and can make more informed life decisions.
• Overall these initiatives would limit the opportunities available to youth in Colorado, specifically their educational and job opportunities.  These initiatives would, among other things, severely cut funding for public education and other public services.  Additionally, by limiting the ability for the state to borrow for public projects, such as the building of schools, the state would not be able to make necessary additions and improvements.  While the state would be required to make up for funds lost by local property taxes (Amendment 60), at the same time state income and vehicle taxes the state could use would also be cut (Proposition 101).
• For more information and to get involved please visit the official Stop the Bad 3 campaign page
  

Amendment 63

CYM Position: Oppose

This amendment would change the Colorado constitution to add health care choice as a constitutional right, prohibit the state from requiring or enforcing any requirement that a person participate in a public or private health coverage plan, and restrict the state from limiting a person’s ability to make or receive direct payments for lawful health care services.

• As stated in our advocacy goals, we believe all youth should have barrier-free access to quality health care that recognizes adolescents as consumers of their own care.
• This amendment would limit the state’s ability to improve access to health care, resulting in increased numbers of uninsured Coloradans, decreased access to preventative care, and increased costs for those who are insured.
• For more information and to get involved please visit the official No on 63 campaign page 

National Issues

Pregnant & Parenting Students Access to Education Act (H.R. 5894)

On July 28, 2010, Colorado Representative Jared Polis and 16 other Members of Congress introduced the Pregnant & Parenting Students Access to Education Act (H.R. 5894), comprehensive legislation to improve high school graduation rates, college-and career-readiness, and access to postsecondary opportunities for pregnant and parenting students.  The legislation provides the necessary formula funding to all states and competitive funding to school districts to ensure that pregnant and parenting students have equal access to succeed in educational opportunities.  Click here for a fact sheet on the legislation and press release.

Representative Polis and other co-sponsors will now work to incorporate the provisions of the Pregnant and Parenting Students Access to Education Act into the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the major federal law regarding education. House and Senate education committees are currently in the process reauthorizing ESEA.  Supporters of the legislation must now turn their attention to adding co-sponsors to H.R. 5894 in order to encourage Congressional education leaders to include its content in the larger ESEA measure.

Now we need you to take action. Click here to send a message to members of Congress asking them to help pregnant and parenting teens graduate.

Organization Sign-On Letter: Direct service, advocacy, and public organizations at the national, state, and local levels are invited to add their organizations to a sign-on letter in support of H.R. 5894.  The sign-on letter may be found online here.  An initial response is requested by August 16, 2010 to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Over 25,000 babies have been born to Colorado teens in the last four years. This important piece of legislation will provide much needed resources to schools to provide support to this large group of Colorado students. Furthermore, this bill sends the message that teen parents' educational success is a priority.

Colorado Youth Matter applauds Representative Polis' leadership in recognizing the thousands of Colorado's young parents who are working to get their education and raising their children. Join us today by showing support for this legislation that will facilitate access to education, curb dropout rates, and improve economic self-sufficiency for pregnant and parenting teens.

Responsible Education About Life Act

1. The Responsible Education About Life (REAL) Act would provide grants to states for providing comprehensive sexuality education programs.  Requirements for the program include programs that are age-appropriate, medically accurate, stress abstinence and provide information about the benefits and side effects of all contraceptives.   
2. Currently there are funding streams dedicated to abstinence-only-until-marriage education, but none for comprehensive sexuality education. 
3. This bill has been introduced in session over the last several years, but has failed to pass out of committee. 
4. What you can do: Contact your federal legislator and tell them you support the funding for comprehensive sexuality education.
5. For more information on the REAL Act click here 

Colorado Youth Matter Advocacy Criteria

Colorado Youth Matter will use these advocacy categories to determine the level of activity around legislation & ballot initiatives:

0  Neutral This may be needed in an event that the public or constituents may expect CYM to take action but has chosen to take none in either direction.

1 Actively Support This can include attending coalition or campaign meetings; leading a coalition or campaign; signing on to campaigns; creating talking points; reaching out/responding to the media; testifying in committee or helping to line up testimony; lobbying legislators; sending out action alerts, and posting information to our website and eKnow.

2  Passively Support This can include signing on to campaigns; attending some meetings; and posting information to our website and eKnow.

3  Actively Oppose This can include attending coalition or campaign meetings; leading a coalition or campaign; signing on to campaigns; creating talking points; reaching out/responding to the media; testifying in committee or helping to line up testimony; lobbying legislators; sending out action alerts, and posting information to our website and eKnow.

4  Passively Oppose This can include attending coalition or campaign meetings; signing on to campaigns; creating talking points; reaching out/responding to the media; testifying in committee or helping to line up testimony; lobbying legislators; sending out action alerts, and posting information to our website and eKnow.