Rep. Ava Flanell

Every Democrat on the Health and Human Services Committee voted no on this bill. All we asked was that health care providers ask women whether they want information about their pregnancy options. They can decline at any point. If they say yes, the provider can either share that information directly or connect them with the appropriate resources. As a legislator, I have learned about all kinds of resources I never knew existed. There are organizations that provide adoption options, financial support, emotional support, practical materials, and other assistance to women facing unplanned pregnancies. There is even support available for men who may not be ready to become fathers. The sad reality is that most people do not know these opportunities exist, and that is a real shame. Women deserve to feel informed, supported, and empowered to make the decision that is best for them based on the options available.

This Tuesday, March 10, I will be introducing HB26-1105 before the Health & Human Services Committee. The bill, Discuss Adoption Information with Pregnant Persons, requires health care providers to discuss adoption as an option with a pregnant woman before an abortion. Women deserve truthful information and real options before making such a significant decision. I strongly encourage anyone who supports this bill to sign up to testify in favor by clicking the link below. The bill will be heard upon adjournment, which is most likely to be around 1:00–2:00 PM, though that timing is subject to change. sites.coleg.gov/public-testimo…

On International Women's Day, I’m grateful for the strong women who have helped shape our nation and the world through principled leadership, courage, and service. Their dedication to faith, family, freedom, and opportunity has paved the way for women like me to step forward and lead. As a woman serving in the Colorado House of Representatives, I’m deeply thankful for the women who came before me who proved that women can lead with strength, conviction, and integrity. Their example continues to inspire the next generation of women to stand up, speak out, and serve their communities. Today we celebrate the women who came before us, the women leading today, and the women who will lead in the future. 🇺🇸

Here's a hard truth I've realized being on the other side of things. Each legislator can introduce five bills during the legislative session, but the majority bends the rules to allow people to have twenty to thirty more bills. This is why we see roughly 700-800 bills in only four months! The result is that most bills never get the serious attention and oversight they deserve. We are making decisions on legislation with real consequences while many lawmakers are exhausted, haven't had time to read the bill, and/or are juggling other work because there is simply never enough time. It is no surprise that Colorado has become one of the most heavily regulated states and that so many past laws have produced unintended consequences. Colorado deserves better. The people deserve better. Lawmakers should follow the rules, slow down, and limit how many bills they introduce so every proposal gets the scrutiny it deserves.

It's so difficult to kill a bad bill in committee, especially since Republicans are outnumbered more than 2 to 1 in every committee. I'm happy to announce that House Judiciary, the committee I serve on, has killed two really bad bills this past week. HB26-1047: Required extra hurdles to evict a tenant and required eviction court records to be suppressed. It shifted more costs and risks onto landlords, which would ripple into the rental market. HB26-1012: Gave government more power to police prices and didn't take into account that the price of an item doesn't just cover that good, but overhead costs for a business. Additionally, some proceeds, such as the ones from correctional facilities, fund inmates education. The bill targets “captive consumer” locations like airports, fairs, event venues, and correctional facilities, uses vague county-average pricing standards, and treats violations as deceptive trade practices.

My sister came to the Capitol this week to testify against HB26-1126, a gun store bill that is poised to hurt many federal firearms licensees with more regulations and fines of up to $100,000. It's always great to see my sister, a familiar face that reminds me why it's important to be in this building and fight for what's right.

More info about Colorado's HB26-1144, Prohibit Three-Dimensional Printing Firearms & Components. 👇🏼 👇🏼 youtu.be/qIEFH1gFjvs?si…

Today at the Colorado Capitol, the House debated and voted on HB26-1144, Prohibit Three-Dimensional Printing Firearms & Components, on second reading. I suggested an amendment that would allow Colorado Bureau of Investigation to research how many 3D printed firearms have turned up in crimes in Colorado. According to the state fiscal note that is attached to the bill, there has only been one person charged for having/using a 3D printed firearm from 2022-2025, leaving me to believe there is either a serious error with the data or the fiscal note. Unfortunately, my amendment was voted against. Today, the bill was amended pretty heavily. I'd like to believe that the bill sponsors took what was said in Judiciary Committee and realized how problematic and duplicative it is, in addition to being in violation of the First Amendment. As the bill reads now from the engrossed version with all the changes. HB26-1144 makes the manufacturing via CNC machine, 3d printer, or similar devices of firearm components illegal. Additionally, the sale and distribution of the digital instructions is illegal. Not the possession but sale or distribution. Next, this bill will go to third reading for a recorded vote on the House floor. It it passes, it heads to the Senate.

HB26-1144, Prohibit 3D Printing Firearms & Components, passed the House Judiciary Committee in Colorado last night. Everything this bill prohibits is already illegal, except words. This bill is a slippery slope to take away your First Amendment rights. So not only are the Democrats coming after your Second Amendment rights, they are coming after your First as well. This bill will be heard on the House floor next.

Colorado, if heating your home affordably is important to you, please testify in favor of my bill HB26-1129, Gas Utility Services. This bill eliminates carbon emissions from natural gas heating in residential from the equation for the green energy push to ensure residents are not required to use electric heating. You can testify in person or remotely. Sign up here: sites.coleg.gov/public-testimo… Date: 02/19 Location: Old State Library (200 E. Colfax Ave.) Time: 1:30PM

Today we honor the leaders who have shaped our nation and reflect on the principles that make America exceptional; liberty, opportunity, personal responsibility, and limited government. As your Representative, I remain committed to detending our Constitution, supporting Colorado tamilies, and ensuring that future generations inherit the same freedoms we cherish today. May we all take a moment to appreciate the blessings of this great nation and those who have served it. God bless Colorado and the United States of America. 🇺🇸

New Low: When Legalizing Prostitution Becomes a Legislative Priority Senate Bill 26-097 isn’t just misguided. It’s a glaring example of how disconnected the majority party has become from everyday Coloradans, especially those of us outside the metro bubble. While families worry about inflation, crime, water, agriculture, and keeping small towns alive, leadership is pushing legislation that most rural communities never asked for and clearly don’t want. Let’s cut through the spin. Removing penalties for prostitution doesn’t eliminate exploitation. It risks making it harder to see. Trafficking thrives where enforcement lines get blurry. Rural sheriffs already operate with low staffing, huge patrol areas, and limited social service backup. Taking away tools without replacing them isn’t reform. It’s negligence. And once again, local control takes a back seat. This bill effectively tells small towns and counties, “Your standards don’t matter.” That’s the same top-downwn playbook rural Colorado has been fighting for years. Decisions made in Denver. Consequences dumped everywhere else. The practical impacts won’t hit policy conferences or downtown high rises first. They’ll hit small communities where resources are tight, where law enforcement knows people by name, and where the margin for policy mistakes is razor thin. Coloradans deserve leadership focused on affordability, safety, infrastructure, and economic stability. Not ideological gestures that create uncertainty and ignore local realities. At some point, priorities matter. This bill sends a loud message that rural Colorado’s priorities aren’t even on the radar.

SB26-043, “Record Keeping & Regulation of Sale of Firearm Barrel," is scheduled to be heard in committee today. Last night, this bill was quietly added in hopes no one would notice. Sign up to testify in person or remotely against this bill that will require single gun barrels to be regulated like firearms. Committee: Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Address: Colorado State Capitol, 200 E Colfax, Denver Link: sites.coleg.gov/public-testimo…

The Colorado Democrats are all over the place. On the one hand, they've made gun stores their cash cow through the excise tax. On the other, they want gun stores to go out of business by proposing to fine them $100,000 for a clerical error in bill HB26-1126? Make it make sense...

We're only 22 days into the Colorado legislative session, and we're already facing 4 horrific anti-gun bills.  SB26-004 - expands the state’s Extreme Risk Protection Order law to health-care facilities, behavioral health treatment facilities, K-12 schools, higher-education institutions, and certain co-responders. SB26-043 -Requires firearm barrels to be sold and transferred through licensed dealers, adding new regulations and record-keeping requirements.  HB26-1126 significantly expands state oversight of firearm dealers by increasing permitting requirements, mandating additional training and security measures, allows increased inspections conducted by the peace officers, and imposes a $100,000 fine. HB26-1144 prohibits the manufacture and possession of unserialized firearms produced using 3D printing technology and restricts the distribution and transfer of those firearms and their components with criminal penalties for violations. You can count on me to fight all of these bills tooth and nail. The Second Amendment is a constitutional right. It is part of the foundation of our freedoms, and I take my responsibility to defend it seriously.

Democrats talk about prioritizing mental health, but then they push bills like SB26-004 that pressure mental health facilities to reduce flag gun-owning patients. When simply owning a firearm is enough to make some people panic, why would any responsible gun owner risk being honest in therapy? Policies like this don’t make communities safer. In fact, it makes it more dangerous. If gun owners believe mental health care comes with the threat of being red-flagged, many will stay silent or stay away altogether. That’s a serious disservice to those who are struggling and to the public safety Democrats claim to care about. Make it make sense, Senator Tom Sullivan and Representative Meg Froelich.

Yesterday, I met with leaders from the oil and gas industry to discuss their concerns and to better understand upstream, midstream, and downstream operations. Apparently watching the show Landman isn't a great depiction. 😉 This industry is essential to Colorado's economy, providing affordable energy, thousands of high-paying jobs, and critical revenue for our communities. Excessive and duplicative regulations are putting these benefits at risk. I have a bill coming down the pipeline (haha) with Representative @RepCarlosBarron and Senators Barbara Kirkmyer and Byron Pelton that will bring Coloradans affordability and choice.

A lower is the only component that's serialized and per definition considered a firearm. Do you think citizens should do a background check for every component of a firearm? Imagine filling out a background check to buy a gas tube... 🤦🏻‍♀️ Do you know how many components make up a firearm? People can make their own firearms using parts from hardware stores. Should we start requiring background checks for buying materials at Home Depot? I admire how you never let evidence interfere with your opinions. 😂

As the daughter of a gun store owner, you know perfectly well that a lower receiver is the component subject to a background check, which is a small piece of an AR-15. This bill would make it harder to assemble an AR-15 with a 3D-printed or illegally obtained lower. You'll get farther with honest arguments against these bills instead of silly word games and playing coy.

Now Colorado Senator Tom Sullivan and House Representative Meg Froelich want to regulate gun barrels... yes, just the barrel. It's obvious these two know nothing about firearms. I can't wait to hear all about these "assault barrels." leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/110…