Colorado Democrats Push To Legalize Prostitution Statewide By July

By The Denver Gazette | The Denver Gazette

A group of Democrats is seeking to legalize prostitution in Colorado, arguing that current penalties “endanger” consenting adults.

The proposal, if enacted, would decriminalize prostitution statewide and preempt local ordinances that ban it. If signed into law, it will take effect this July, making Colorado one of two states to legalize prostitution. The other state is Nevada.

The bill would maintain the felony classification for pimping, though it would eliminate the word “prostitution” in the state laws and change it to “commercial sexual activity.”

The bill — sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Nick Hinrichsen, Senate Assistant Majority Leader Lisa Cutter and Reps. Lorena Garcia and Rebekah Stewart — said repealing prostitution laws is necessary because sex workers are less likely to report crimes and “criminalizing client conduct” inhibits their ability to vet them.

The proposal is the latest push in the country to move away from penalizing sex workers and individuals who pay for sex. It has been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.

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