Attendees ask how to move a health-care study into action; League discusses strategy and recent election integrity concerns

Summary

During the League of Women Voters of Colorado training, attendees asked how to turn an upcoming public-health study on universal health care into a campaign; League staff advised coordinating with stakeholder groups, fundraising and deciding between an initiative or legislative sponsorship. Participants also discussed recent Mesa County election controversies and LWVCO's involvement in a letter to state officials.

An attendee asked what organizers should do while waiting for a Colorado Department of Public Health study on universal health care. Andrea Wilkins, legislative liaison for the League of Women Voters of Colorado, recommended plugging into stakeholder calls, coordinating strategy and messaging, fundraising, and deciding whether to pursue a citizen initiative (which operates outside the General Assembly) or to seek a legislative sponsor to introduce a bill.

Wilkins said advocates should consider near-term work such as coalition-building and drafting messaging while the study proceeds, and that if the group seeks legislation, cultivating a sponsor and committee contacts increases the chance a bill will be heard. She reiterated that initiative campaigns typically require significant fundraising and focused drafting to meet signature and legal requirements.

Separately, attendees raised concerns about Mesa County and the actions of election official Tina Peters, describing litigation and replacement costs that they said had resulted in substantial local expense. Beth Hendricks said LWVCO had already signed onto a letter and that members were discussing further action and outreach to the governor’s staff and the attorney general.

No formal actions were recorded at the meeting; participants left with contact information for LWVCO staff and invitations to join the Legislative Action Committee to support follow-up work.