Empowerment Day at the Capitol

This week, more than 20 members of our YWCA Boulder County community packed into the Capitol for our annual Women's Empowerment Day.

We met with legislators, sat in on budget meetings, and made sure the people writing Colorado's laws knew we were paying attention.

Before we entered the Capitol building, we prepared. We were joined by David Karnes, Director of Public Policy at Violence Free Colorado, and Elizabeth Newman, Director of Public Policy at CCASA (Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault), who led a panel diving deeper into the details of the bills we had discussed. This allowed us to walk into conversations with legislators feeling informed and empowered.

One of the highlights of the day was sitting down with Majority Leader Monica Duran. We talked about the Cottage Foods Act (commonly known as the Tamale Act), and how allowing individuals to legally and accessibly sell perishable, refrigerated homemade foods connects directly to women's economic empowerment.

After learning and preparing, our group spread out to meet with state representatives, focusing our conversations on five bills that reflect our mission of eliminating racism and empowering women.

The Bills We Fought For

HB 26-1033 – Colorado Cottage Foods Act. Expanding economic opportunity for women and families by making it easier to run small food-based businesses from home

HB 26-1009 – Lethality Assessment Protocol. A critical tool to help first responders identify when a domestic violence survivor is at the highest risk

HB 26-1123 – Prevent Sexual Abuse in Jails. Strengthening protections for incarcerated folk and ensuring that safety and dignity are not forgotten

SB 26-005 – Liability for Harm Caused by Civil Immigration Enforcement. Providing legal recourse for immigrant families harmed by civil immigration enforcement

SB 26-095 – Measures to Support Victim Survivors of Crimes. Strengthening the support systems available to survivors so that the path from trauma to stability is clearer and safer

At YWCA Boulder County, we've always believed that real change requires showing up at every level. We show up in our programs, in our community, and in the halls of government buildings.

We are looking forward to many more advocacy events to come! And we hope you'll join us.