Polis is doing well with health care reform, but his backing of RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine movement is a mistake.

Gov. Jared Polis recently showed his support for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s nomination as the Health and Human Services Secretary by President-elect Donald Trump. This surprised many, as Polis is known for seeking bipartisan solutions for public health policies. While this gesture may have been seen as reaching across the aisle, it was met with disapproval from the people of Colorado.
The governor's statement praising Kennedy for helping defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 was a reminder of a strange and uncomfortable moment at the state Capitol. In 2020, a bill was introduced to improve immunization rates among school-aged children. However, it was met with opposition from anti-vaccine activists, some of whom were mobilized by Kennedy himself. During a hearing, one opponent even whispered a threatening comment in the ear of a supporter of the bill.
Despite the governor's successful partnership with Kennedy in defeating the bill, many of Kennedy's views on vaccines and public health are not supported by scientific evidence or mainstream bipartisan beliefs. This has led to a decline in child immunization rates in Colorado, putting children at risk for preventable diseases. In fact, Colorado ranks 45th in the nation for measles coverage in kindergarteners, well below the recommended threshold for community immunity.
A recent bipartisan survey conducted by Healthier Colorado, a nonpartisan organization, showed that a majority of voters in the state support mandatory vaccinations for children attending schools and childcare centers. It is clear that Coloradans do not agree with Kennedy's fringe views on vaccines and believe that doctors and scientists should have more influence over public health policies.
While it is important for the governor to maintain a good working relationship with the Trump administration, it is also crucial for him to listen to the voices of the people he represents. And in this case, the people of Colorado reject Kennedy's views and believe that pragmatic solutions should be pursued to improve public health and save lives.
One area where the governor and the people seem to be in agreement is the influence of the pharmaceutical and processed foods industries. A large majority of Coloradans believe that these industries have too much influence over public health policies. This is a sentiment that even the governor and Kennedy share. It is time for a pragmatic approach that moves us forward and improves the well-being of the people of Colorado.
In addition to addressing public health policies, the state also needs to address its bureaucratic failings in regards to Medicaid enrollment. A recent poll showed that a majority of Colorado voters, including a significant number of Republicans, support investing taxpayer dollars to fix this issue. It is clear that the people of Colorado want to see progress and are not content with going back to the diseases of the past.
It is important for Governor Polis to continue his efforts to save people money on healthcare and to address the influence of industries in public health policies. By listening to the voices of the people and taking a pragmatic approach, we can move forward and improve the health and well-being of all Coloradans. As President Eisenhower once said, "every parent and every child should be grateful" for the eradication of polio, and we must not go back to a time where preventable diseases were rampant. Let us work together to find solutions that benefit us all.

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