From State Senator, Rod Pelton, Legislative Update, April 2023

On Wednesday, April 12th, there will be a Rally for Parents Rights on the West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol. We must protect a parent’s right to direct the upbringing and education of their child.

On Thursday, April 13th, is Home Education Day in Colorado and we will have many home-based educating families visiting the Colorado State Capitol.

My wife and I made the decision to homeschool both of our daughters when they were of school-age as it fit best with our household values and resources. I now have the honor as a grandfather to watch my grandchildren grow up and learn, with one daughter who chose to home school her kids and one daughter who choice to enroll her kids in a public school.

I am a strong advocate for parental choice, and one of these choices is how our children will be educated: public, private or at home.

Updates on A Few of My Bills:

Senate Bill 23-044: Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program

This bill updates the veterinary education loan repayment program by increasing the number of qualified applicants from four to six, and eliminates the requirement that the applicant had to have graduated from an accredited veterinary school prior to 2017.

STATUS: Has been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee

House Bill 23-1264: Update Life Stock Health Act

Current law authorizes the inspection, testing, quarantine, condemnation, and destruction of livestock when there is an outbreak of an infectious or contagious disease. This bill removes the requirement that the inspection, testing, and quarantine while moving the authority to condemn and destroy livestock from the state agricultural commission to the commissioner. The commissioner, state veterinarian, and governor must all agree that the condemnation and destruction is justified and necessary for the safety and protection of the livestock of the state in order to act.

STATUS: Waiting on the House Floor for Second Reading