By Greg Schaller

In recent years, Colorado has gained a new reputation — not just for its mountains or marijuana use, but for its persistent hostility toward religious liberty and free speech. Earlier this month, however, the tide may finally turned. In two major victories, the state’s attempts to punish people of faith for living out their beliefs were rebuked — first by the courts and second by the courageous actions of those who refused to compromise their convictions.

In Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser, the Colorado Supreme Court allowed a preliminary injunction to stand, preventing the state from enforcing a draconian law aimed at silencing a Christian health clinic. Bella Health, a pro-life, Catholic-founded medical practice, offers abortion pill reversal (APR) treatment to women who regret taking the first dose of a chemical abortion. After the state passed SB 23-190, a law to criminalize offering APR unless it was endorsed by the medical establishment (which conveniently opposes it), Bella Health was faced with the impossible choice: violate their beliefs or face legal consequences.

The court’s decision to uphold the injunction was a strong signal: Colorado cannot sideline the First Amendment in its zeal to enforce a progressive agenda. Bella Health’s staff should not have to choose between their faith and their medical mission. Women who change their minds about abortion should not be deprived of care just because it doesn’t align with the state’s ideology.

The second case is equally revealing. Chelsea Mynyk, a licensed midwife, was targeted by the state simply for being honest with her clients. Her crime? Informing women abortion pill reversal exists and she would help them access it. For this, the state threatened her with the loss of her license.

Let that sink in: a health professional, acting out of compassion and professional conviction, was nearly shut down by the government — not for malpractice or fraud, but for providing life-affirming information and support. Fortunately, Chelsea stood her ground. The state eventually backed down and issued a formal dismissal of the complaint. But the damage was already done. The chilling effect on speech — especially for Christian professionals — is real, and it is growing.

Both of these cases illustrate a pattern. Colorado’s political leadership seems more interested in enforcing ideological conformity than protecting constitutional rights. In recent memory, we’ve seen the state repeatedly pursue Jack Phillips, a Christian cake artist, in an apparent effort to make an example of him. Now, it is faith-based clinics and midwives in the crosshairs.

What’s happening in Colorado is part of a larger national trend: progressive states using the power of government to suppress dissent from the new orthodoxy on issues of life, sexuality and religion. They do this not through open persecution, but through bureaucratic strangulation — licensing boards, regulatory threats and laws drafted so broadly they punish conscience.

The First Amendment was designed for moments like this. Our founders knew without protections for religion and speech, the state would inevitably try to coerce belief and behavior. That’s why courts must continue to act as a bulwark, not just for believers, but for all Americans who care about freedom.

To be clear, these victories are not about imposing religious views on others. They are about protecting the rights of people of faith to serve their communities without violating their consciences. They are about safeguarding the space where charity, medicine and moral conviction intersect.

Bella Health’s mission is to care for both mother and child. Chelsea Mynyk’s calling is to walk with women through pregnancy and birth. Neither should be forced to check their faith at the clinic door. And the fact they had to fight at all is a warning sign: when the state demands the authority to decide which beliefs are acceptable, all of our freedoms are at risk.

Let’s hope these victories mark a turning point. Colorado has the chance to become a place where pluralism truly flourishes, where disagreement is not punished and where religious people are not treated as second-class citizens.

For that to happen, citizens must remain vigilant. We need lawmakers willing to stand up for conscience rights, voters who demand accountability and civic institutions that remind our leaders freedom of religion and speech are not partisan issues — they are the foundation of American life.

Bella Health and Chelsea Mynyk had the courage to stand. Now, the rest of us must follow their example.

Greg Schaller serves as the director of the Centennial Institute, the conservative think-tank of Colorado Christian University. He has taught politics at CCU, Villanova University and St. Joseph’s University. He holds a B.A. in political science and history from Eastern University and an M.A. in political science from Villanova University.