DENVER — Protect Kids Colorado delivered approximately 170,000 signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office in support of Initiative 108, a ballot measure that would reclassify child sex trafficking from a class 2 felony to a class 1 felony carrying a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kevin Lundberg, a former state senator and board chairman of Protect Kids Colorado, said on The Kim Monson Show that more than 3,200 volunteers returned notarized petitions as part of the effort. Lundberg described the volunteer mobilization as the largest citizen-driven petition effort in Colorado history. Fewer than 10% of total signatures came from paid petition circulators, he said. Yvonne Paez guest hosted the Feb. 17 broadcast.
Under current Colorado law, human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude is classified as a class 2 felony under CRS 18-3-504. Because the offense is designated as a crime of violence, the sentencing range extends to 16 to 48 years in prison with five years of mandatory parole. Offenders are eligible for parole and eventual release.
Initiative 108, titled the “Children Are Not For Sale Act,” would elevate the offense to a class 1 felony, the most serious classification in Colorado. Since Colorado abolished the death penalty in 2020, the maximum sentence for a class 1 felony is life in prison without the possibility of parole or release.
The measure would also expand the legal definition of human trafficking to include any person who “knowingly trades anything of monetary value to buy or sell sexual activity with a minor,” according to the initiative’s filing with the Secretary of State.
Protect Kids Colorado launched its signature-gathering effort on Sept. 5, 2025, giving petitioners roughly six months to collect the required signatures. Lundberg said on The Kim Monson Show that the organization collected “almost a half million signatures” across three related initiatives, with approximately 170,000 submitted for Initiative 108 specifically.
The campaign relied overwhelmingly on volunteer labor, Lundberg said, with fewer than 10% of total signatures coming from paid circulators. The Rocky Mountain Voice reported in December 2025 that professional signature gatherers were hired to supplement the volunteer effort as the deadline approached.
Dr. Travis Morrell, a spokesperson for Protect Kids Colorado, described the trafficking initiative as the least disputed of the three measures the organization advanced, according to the Rocky Mountain Voice.
Colorado ranked 10th nationally for the highest number of human trafficking reports as of 2023, according to the Common Sense Institute. The state’s position along two major interstate highways, I-70 and I-25, has been cited by the Colorado Catholic Conference as a factor contributing to trafficking activity.
At the state Capitol, a separate bipartisan effort is also targeting child sex trafficking penalties. Senate Bill 26-015, sponsored by Sen. Dylan Roberts (D-District 8) and Sen. Byron Pelton (R-District 1), would impose a mandatory minimum four-year prison sentence for offenses involving commercial sexual activity with a child. The bill advanced through the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 6-1 vote on Feb. 11.
“We know that human trafficking, particularly trafficking involving children, is a major problem in our state, and that’s what we’re seeking to change,” Sen. Roberts told Denver7. Sen. Pelton added: “This is not a partisan issue. This is about Colorado actually holding people accountable for purchasing children for sex, and making sure that the crime fits the punishment.” The two efforts address different aspects of the problem; Initiative 108 targets traffickers who buy and sell children, while SB26-015 focuses on mandatory minimums for solicitation and related offenses.
Protect Kids Colorado describes itself as “a broad coalition of parents, grandparents and concerned citizens coming together to protect kids and strengthen families in Colorado.” The organization, a federally registered 501(c)(4) advocacy group headquartered in Colorado Springs, is led by executive director Erin Lee, who co-founded the group. Lundberg serves as board chairman.
In addition to Initiative 108, Protect Kids Colorado advanced two other ballot measures: Initiative 109, which addresses girls’ and women’s sports designations, and Initiative 110, which would prohibit certain medical procedures on minors.
The approximately 170,000 signatures now go to the Secretary of State’s office for verification. Initiative 108 requires 124,238 valid signatures from registered Colorado voters to qualify for the November 2026 ballot. That threshold represents 5% of the total votes cast for secretary of state in the November 2022 general election.
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