On June 27, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a resounding victory for parental rights in Moore v. Harper, ruling that parents—not school boards—have the ultimate say over which books enter their children’s classrooms. In that case, a North Carolina school board had banned certain pro-LGBTQ+ titles; the Court held that parents have standing to challenge the presence of materials they deem inappropriate, reinforcing long-standing precedents like Pierce v. Society of Sisters and Troxel v. Granville.
Why I Identify as a “Parental-Rights Extremist”
Make no mistake: I am no moderate on this issue—I am a parental-rights extremist. Someone alert the FBI, because I refuse to sit quietly while bureaucrats and activists override Mom and Dad’s judgment. The right to raise your children as you see fit—morally, spiritually, and intellectually—is fundamental and “shall not be infringed.” As Troxel reminds us, the Due Process Clause guarantees parents the authority to direct their children’s upbringing without unwarranted state intrusion.
Colorado’s HB25-1312: A Sneak Attack on Moms and Dads
Back home in Colorado, our legislature nearly inflicted the same constitutional wound under HB25-1312, which would have:
- Declared “gender-identity affirming care” a protected right in family law, healthcare, education, and custody disputes.
- Allowed minors to assert new gender identities at school or in court—often without parental notice or consent.
- Compelled schools and public employees to conceal gender-identity information from parents.
- Treated biological-reality language (calling a boy “he”) as potential discrimination.
- Threatened custody for parents who declined to support gender-transition procedures for minors.
- Preempted local policy by branding these matters a “statewide concern” .
HB25-1312 passed, but in a watered-down version. It’s still bad, but not as bad as it could have been. Had HB25-1312 passed as introduced, Colorado parents would have been legally muzzled—stripped of the right to know and guide their children through life’s most sensitive decisions.
Weld County’s Duty: Lock in a Parental Bill of Rights
Under Colorado’s Home Rule provisions (Art. XIV, §16(1)), Weld County has the power—and the duty—to protect families where the state legislature refused. Our Weld County Home Rule Charter (Art. II, Sec. 2-1 and 2-5) vests us with broad local legislative authority over “health, safety, welfare, and matters of local concern.” Parental rights are the bedrock of community health and welfare, not a statewide abstraction.
I propose two actions:
- Parental-Rights Ordinance
• Codify that parents and legal guardians have the exclusive right to direct the upbringing, education, healthcare, and moral/religious instruction of their children.
• Prohibit any county enforcement of state mandates that conceal gender-identity decisions from parents or compel speech against one’s convictions.
• Declare that educational content and family-medical decisions are matters of local concern, beyond state usurpation. - Home-Rule Charter Amendment (voter-referred)
Embed these protections at the charter level, making them immune to future legislative whims:
Add New Section—Parental Rights & Family Integrity
(A) Parents and guardians possess the fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, healthcare, and moral or religious training of their children.
(B) These rights are matters of local concern in Weld County.
(C) No county policy, nor state policy enforced by the county, shall infringe upon a parent’s right to access information about their child’s education, health, or well-being, nor compel speech contrary to their religious or moral convictions.
(D) Weld County reserves the right to legally challenge any state law—including HB25-1312—that infringes these rights or exceeds legitimate statewide concern.
The Family is the Foundational Unit of Our Republic and the Most Important Unit in Weld County
This isn’t fringe talk—it’s constitutional duty. Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925) and Troxel v. Granville (2000) affirm that parents hold deep-rooted, fundamental rights over their children’s upbringing. Weld County must now step up where Colorado’s legislature failed, ensuring that no bureaucrat, school official, or radical activist can override Mom and Dad.
Bottom line: I stand unapologetically as a parental-rights extremist—because when it comes to children, there is no middle ground. Weld County must amend our charter and pass a Parental Bill of Rights, locking in protections that guarantee every parent the authority to raise their children in accordance with their faith, values, and convictions. Because the very ideology that brought this insanity forward in the state legislature is still there and will attempt this again.
Let the voters decide: upholding family integrity and pushing back against state overreach is not just necessary—it’s our duty to future generations.
