DENVER – In a sudden and unanimous vote late Wednesday, the Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee indefinitely postponed a controversial bill that would have fully decriminalized consensual adult prostitution across the state, effectively killing the measure for the 2024 session.

The decision came just days after sponsors admitted the votes simply were not there to move forward.

The bill is dead for this year, and maybe for good.

Sponsored by four Democratic lawmakers including Rep. Lorena Garcia and Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, House Bill 24-1086 sought to remove criminal penalties for selling and buying sex between consenting adults while keeping tough laws against pimping, trafficking, and coercion intact.

Lawmakers behind the measure argued decriminalization would make sex workers safer by letting them report violence and exploitation without fear of arrest.

But fierce opposition from some fellow Democrats, Republicans, law enforcement groups, and anti-trafficking organizations proved too much to overcome.

How the Collapse Happened

On Monday, Pueblo Sen. Nick Hinrichsen, a co-sponsor who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, told reporters he would move to postpone the bill indefinitely because it lacked the support to pass his own committee.

By Wednesday afternoon, that motion passed 5-0 with no debate and no one speaking in favor of keeping the bill alive.

It took less than 30 seconds.

Hinrichsen, who is not seeking reelection this year, gave brief remarks thanking advocates for their passion but said the bill “does not have the votes” and he did not want to waste more time.

The move stunned many supporters who had packed recent hearings wearing red umbrellas, the global symbol of sex worker rights.

What the Bill Actually Proposed

If passed, HB24-1086 would have:

• Removed prostitution from Colorado’s criminal code for adults 18 and older
• Eliminated loitering for prostitution charges often used to target street-based workers
• Allowed sex workers to report rape, assault, and robbery without being arrested themselves
• Kept all penalties for human trafficking, pimping, and buying sex from minors

Sponsors repeatedly stressed the bill was about safety, not promotion of prostitution.

Rep. Garcia told the House Judiciary Committee in March that current laws “drive this work underground and make people more vulnerable to violence and exploitation.”

The Opposition Was Bipartisan and Intense

Several Democratic women in the Senate, including Sens. Janet Buckner and Rachel Zenzinger, voiced strong concerns that decriminalization could fuel more trafficking.

Republican members called the idea “insane” and predicted it would turn Colorado into a sex tourism destination.

The Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault and several survivor-led groups also opposed the measure, saying full decriminalization benefits pimps and johns more than victims.

Denver Police Deputy Chief David Gonzales testified that his department already uses a “no prosecution” policy for sex workers who report crimes, making the bill unnecessary.

National Context and Rare Setback for Decriminalization Movement

Colorado would have become the first U.S. state to fully decriminalize prostitution if the bill passed.

Only Nevada allows legal brothels in certain counties, and no state has removed all criminal penalties for both sellers and buyers.

Recent efforts in California, New York, and Maine have also stalled or failed.

Even progressive strongholds like Vermont and Massachusetts have rejected similar proposals in recent years.

Victims’ Advocates Celebrate, Sex Workers Mourn

“This is a huge victory for survivors,” said the Colorado Human Trafficking Council in a statement Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, sex worker rights groups called the postponement devastating.

“We are heartbroken,” said a spokesperson for the Colorado Decriminalize Sex Work coalition. “Politicians chose fear-mongering over facts and human lives.”

Some advocates vow to bring the issue back in future sessions, possibly through ballot initiative.

For now, Colorado remains one of 49 states where paying for sex or selling sex can land you in jail.

The sudden death of the bill marks a rare legislative defeat for progressive criminal justice reform in a state that has legalized marijuana, abolished the death penalty, and passed sweeping police accountability laws in recent years.

Whether Colorado lawmakers are ready to have this conversation again anytime soon remains very much in doubt.

What do you think? Should Colorado decriminalize consensual adult sex work? Drop your thoughts in the comments.