Child Protection Law in Colorado FAILS AGAIN Because of the Same 4 Democrats
In Colorado, you can rape a child and get probation instead of prison. A bill to change that just failed — for the third year in a row. Four Democrats voted it down. 4 to 3.
For the third consecutive year, Colorado lawmakers have killed a bill that would have required prison time for convicted child rapists. Senate Bill 26-111, titled “Protections Against Child Rape,” was voted down 4-3 on a party-line vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 18, 2026. The four Democrats who blocked it: Adrienne Benavidez, Nick Hinrichsen, Katie Wallace, and Mike Weissman.
Under current Colorado law, a person convicted of sexually assaulting a child can be sentenced to probation instead of prison. The bill would have eliminated that option for certain Class 3 and Class 4 felony child sexual assault cases. It was sponsored by Republican Senator Janice Rich, with bipartisan House support from Republican Brandi Bradley and Democrat Regina English. Bradley said on record: “In our state, in Colorado, you can rape multiple children as long as it’s only one time and receive probation.”
The same type of bill was killed in 2024 (8-3) and 2025 (6-5). This was the narrowest version yet — and it still failed. One of the four lawmakers who voted against it, Senator Hinrichsen, is also the lead sponsor of a bill to decriminalize prostitution in Colorado. Both bills went through the same committee.
