What is Amendment 46 and Why Should You Oppose It

• No on Amendment 46 is a growing coalition formed to defeat Amendment 46, the so-called “Colorado Civil Rights Initiative.” The coalition includes elected officials, businesses, faith leaders, and community groups from all around the state.

• The so-called “Colorado Civil Rights Initiative” is Ward Connerly’s latest attempt to eliminate equal opportunity programs in our state. He has proposed Amendment 46 to change Colorado’s Constitution to prohibit the state (and local governments, schools and universities) from offering any type of equal opportunity programs to women and people of color in Colorado in the areas of employment, education, and contracting.

• Ward Connerly is a former Board of Regent in California. He works to eliminate equal opportunity programs in states around the country. He has destroyed equal opportunity in California, Michigan, and Washington already. While campaigning in Michigan, the KKK voiced their support for his initiative, which is nearly identical to the Colorado initiative. Ward Connerly is a carpetbagger from California who has never lived in Colorado.

• In addition to over one hundred groups and community leaders in Colorado, Amendment 46 is opposed by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who believes that outside hate groups like the KKK have no place in Colorado.
• Governor Bill Ritter also opposes Amendment 46, saying ““we have more important issues to focus on in Colorado, like fixing our schools and improving the economy.”
• Major newspapers across Colorado have taken positions against Amendment 46 as have the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and numerous other Colorado business organizations.

• If this amendment were law, important equal opportunity programs in our state would be threatened.
• Here are several examples of programs that would be threatened by Amendment 46:
• Florence Crittendon School – this public/private partnership provides middle and high school education services to pregnant and parenting teen girls
• The Colorado Equal Pay Commission – the Governor’s commission works to reduce the gender-pay gap for women.
• Women in Engineering Program – this program at Colorado University works with girls in grades 9-12 to help them succeed in high school and consider degrees in engineering when they go to college.