We have worked for many centuries as a society to get to where we are now, and Coloradans have no interest in travelling back in time. Civil and constitutional rights are fundamental to the functioning of a democratic society. They protect the individual freedoms and dignity of people, ensuring that governments are held accountable, and citizens are treated fairly. Colorado has much to be proud of, including the recent successful passage of Amendment J and Amendment 79, but we need to be clear eyed about the challenges the next four years will bring, and the imminent federal attacks on our values. 

• Protect access to ideas and information. Access to different information and ideas is paramount to a healthy, functioning democracy. We need to put guard rails in place in our library and school districts to reduce politicized and discriminatory censorship.

• Further protect our providers and residents. Attacks against healthcare providers and non-profits who provide abortion and transition-related care will undoubtedly increase. We need to make sure all providers and non-profits have the legal assistance they need to fend off those attacks.

• Prohibit Discrimination in the use of AI. Artificial intelligence can be a valuable tool, but we need to ensure, just like other technologies in the past, that its use does not exacerbate inequalities in policing, provision of goods and services, employment, housing, and other important industries. We need to pass legislation prohibiting discrimination.

• Modernize damages in public accommodation discrimination. It is virtually impossible for individuals facing discrimination in public accommodation to enforce equal access because the fees and costs of such suits are prohibitive while damages are excessively limited. We need to update our public accommodation laws to provide for the same recovery of fees and costs as other forms of discrimination.

• Increase and index for inflation discrimination claim caps: It has been a decade since the damage caps under the Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act have been adjusted. It is time to increase and index for inflation the caps on compensatory and punitive damages under this law.