Colorado ban on 'conversion therapy' overturned
Supreme Court ruling could impact other states
Colorado can’t ban so-called “conversion therapy” for kids, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.
Experts say trying to convert LGBTQ+ people to heterosexuality or traditional gender norms can be harmful and may even count as torture. But eight of the nine justices said a “conversion therapy” ban Colorado enacted in 2019 violates the free speech protections of the First Amendment. Their ruling could also apply to 26 other states that have similar bans.
Colorado had argued that the law regulated medical treatment and not speech or beliefs. But only Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson accepted that argument.
Colorado officials have said they disagree with the Supreme Court ruling and are considering how to respond. Although Supreme Court rulings are final and cannot be appealed, the justices sent the case back to a lower court to decide how to implement their decision, so the legal fight isn’t completely over yet.
The ruling comes as Colorado lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow victims of conversion therapy to sue practitioners. But the Supreme Court decision suggests that proposal would face an uphill legal battle even if it does become law.
Need to Know
✋ Colorado and Denver don’t have to help the federal government enforce immigration laws, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday, citing the Tenth Amendment’s states’ rights provisions. The ruling followed similar decisions against the U.S. Justice Department, which has had little success in legal battles against other so-called “sanctuary cities” under President Donald Trump. (Associated Press, Colorado Politics, Denverite)
📹 Denver will get 50 new license plate reading cameras from Axon, the company that makes body-worn cameras and Tasers, under a $150,000 contract the city council approved Tuesday. The vote came after the city cancelled a contract with a competing company, Flock, following reports that federal authorities may have accessed data from its surveillance cameras. The contract with Axon has limits on data-sharing, but some council members have argued the city should establish a separate, broader framework to regulate surveillance technologies. (Denverite, Denver Gazette, Denver7)
🚧 Aurora’s $38 million center for houseless persons opened too early last November, operators and council members say. The former hotel was supposed to provide shelter and services, including emergency dorms, transitional housing with case management, and private rooms for residents who meet stricter requirements. But many private rooms still aren’t available and the center has ongoing plumbing, mold, heating and staffing problems. (Sentinel)
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Something Good
⛷️ Like a lot of skiers, I grew up watching Warren Miller movies. Now there’s a new exhibit at the Colorado Snowsports Museum in Vail that explores the life and legacy of the inventor of the ski film genre. Record-low snow totals made this winter a bit of a bummer for skiers, but this seems like a good way to capture some of that magic, even when there’s no snow.