News Sheet

Colorado’s $6.1 Million Political Invoice

Hand writing a check over paperwork with the Colorado State Capitol in the background
When the Capitol grandstands, somehow the invoice finds you.
Written by Scott K. James

Colorado will pay $6.1 million after a failed attempt to ban abortion pill “reversal.” Taxpayers cover the bill, not the lawmakers.

Colorado just cut a $6.1 million check because grown adults in the Capitol couldn’t resist playing politics with other people’s money. The Colorado Sun flagged it: the state will pay $6.1 million over its attempt to ban abortion pill “reversal.”

This is the part where the folks who love to lecture you about compassion quietly send the bill to you. Same story, different invoice.

The Bullet Point Brief

  • Colorado will pay $6.1 million tied to an attempt to ban abortion pill “reversal.”
  • The money comes from taxpayers, not from the lawmakers who pushed the effort.
  • The state’s attempt didn’t hold up, and the public is paying the consequence.
  • This is a real example of policy-by-press-release turning into policy-by-settlement.
  • It raises the obvious question: who signs the checks when political stunts crash into reality?

My Bottom Line

Our tax dollars are used to pay this settlement, all because state legislators had to virtue signal. That’s not leadership. That’s performance art with a billing department.

Let’s not pretend: when the public pays the penalty, the incentive for politicians is to keep taking dumb swings. Miss big, shrug, ask for applause anyway.

The constitution is still the constitution, no matter how hard you are trying to please your base. If your plan can’t survive constitutional scrutiny, it’s not “bold.” It’s careless.

Translated: if lawmakers want to grandstand, they should do it on their own dime.

Stop legislating like you’ve got a donor-funded legal tab and a taxpayer-funded cleanup crew.

Here’s the fix: before we pass laws designed to spike the football, we run them through the bill-paying test and the constitution test, in that order. And when it fails, the answer isn’t another press conference. It’s doing the hard work the first time, and owning the cost when you don’t.


Source: The Colorado Sun

About the author

Scott K. James

A 4th generation Northern Colorado native, Scott K. James is a veteran broadcaster, professional communicator, and principled leader. Widely recognized for his thoughtful, common-sense approach to addressing issues that affect families, businesses, and communities, Scott, his wife, Julie, and son, Jack, call Johnstown, Colorado, home. A former mayor of Johnstown, James is a staunch defender of the Constitution and the rule of law, the free market, and the power of the individual. Scott has delighted in a lifetime of public service and continues that service as a Weld County Commissioner representing District 2.