Colorado Amendment 17, Parental Right to Direct Upbringing, Education, and Discipline of Children Initiative (1996)

Colorado Amendment 17
Election date November 5, 1996
Topic Constitutional rights and Family-related policy
Status Defeated
Type Initiated constitutional amendment	Origin Citizens

Colorado Amendment 17 was on the ballot as an initiated constitutional amendment in Colorado on November 5, 1996. It was defeated.

A “yes” vote supported adding language to the Colorado Constitution that says that parents have the right to "direct and control the upbringing, education, values, and discipline of their children."

A “no” vote opposed adding language to the Colorado Constitution that says that parents have the right to "direct and control the upbringing, education, values, and discipline of their children."

Election results

Colorado Amendment 17
Result		Votes	Percentage
Yes		615,202	42.35%
No		837,606	57.65%

Results are officially certified.

Source

Overview

Amendment 17 was defeated, with 57.65% voting 'No' on the citizen-initiated ballot measure. Amendment 17 would have made Colorado the first state to provide a constitutional right for parents to "direct and control the upbringing, education, values, and discipline of their children." The ballot measure would have amended the Colorado Constitution's section on inalienable rights.

Text of measure

Ballot title

The ballot title for Amendment 17 was as follows:

“

An amendment to the Colorado Constitution concerning parental rights, and, in connection therewith, specifying that parents have the right to direct and control the upbringing, education, values, and discipline of their children.

”

Full Text

The full text of this measure is available here.

Constitutional changes

See also: Article II, Colorado Constitution

The ballot measure would have amended Section 3 of Article II of the Colorado Constitution. The following underlined language would have been added and struck-through language would have been defeated:

(3) Inalienable rights. All persons have certain natural, essential and inalienable rights, among which may be reckoned the right of enjoying and defending their lives and liberties; of acquiring, possessing and protecting property; and of seeking and obtaining their safety and happiness; and of parents to direct and control the upbringing, education, values, and discipline of their children.

Support

The Coalition for Parental Responsibility led the campaign in support of Amendment 17.

Supporters

Organizations

• Fathers for Equal Rights
• Of the People

Arguments

• Kristine Woolley, Executive Director of the Coalition of Parental Responsibility: "It seems to me parents ought to be given respect. Government elitists have something to lose if I as a parent have more of a voice."
• Mike Norton, former U.S. Attorney for Colorado: "It boils down to optimism or pessimism in society. Whom do you trust more to raise kids, parents or governments?"

Opposition

Protect Our Children led the campaign in opposition to Amendment 17.

Opponents

Officials

• Gov. Roy Romer (D)

Former Officials

• Former U.S. Sen. William Armstrong

Unions

• Colorado Education Association
• National Education Association

Organizations

• ACLU of Colorado
• Colorado Association of Family and Children Services
• Colorado Bar Association
• Colorado District Attorneys' Council
• Equality Colorado
• Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains

Arguments

• Barbara Butler, President of the League of Women Voters of Colorado: "It is dangerous because it could permit child abuse under the guise of parents 'directing and controlling the discipline of their children.' … The best interests of the child will no longer be the standard as parents or guardians assert their constitutional right to 'direct and control.'"
• Fofi Mendez, campaign manager for Protect Our Children: "The Parental Rights Amendment is about a small group suing teachers, doctors, nurses, librarians, movie theaters and schools to impose their views on everyone else."
• Gov. Roy Romer: "It's explosive in its ambiguity. The only thing certain about it is that it's going to lead to very expensive lawsuits. This is a full employment bill for lawyers. It could eliminate child abuse and adoption laws. It could permit censorship in schools and libraries. It could limit teen-agers' access to birth control and substance-abuse counseling."

Media editorials

Support

You can share campaign information or arguments, along with source links for this information, at editor@ballotpedia.org.

Opposition

• The Daily Sentinel Editorial Board: "Well, within the seemingly sensible language lies a legal morass that will stymie efforts at protecting victims of child abuse and stifle public education while providing unending opportunities for attorneys to profit."

Path to the ballot

See also: Signature requirements for ballot measures in Colorado

In Colorado, proponents needed to collect a number of signatures for an initiated constitutional amendment.

See also

1996 Measures

• 1996 Measures
• Constitutional rights on the ballot
• Family-related policy on the ballot
• 1996 legislative sessions

Colorado

• Colorado ballot measures
• Colorado ballot measure laws

News and analysis

• Ballot measure lawsuits
• Ballot measure readability
• Ballot measure polls

External links

• Colorado Blue Book (1996)