DENVER (KDVR) — Gov. Jared Polis’ post on X expressing excitement for the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. to lead health agencies in the U.S. continues to receive backlash a day later. That includes lawmakers at the state capitol who are pushing back.
During the pandemic, Polis was a strong advocate for vaccines. While he praised RFK Jr. for his opposition to vaccine mandates, folks who worked with the governor during the pandemic are stunned by his endorsement.
“I hope that the governor of the State of Colorado recognizes that in one simple tweet, he has broken trust with a lot of Coloradans and he has a lot of listening to do,” said state Senator Julie Gonzales of Denver.
Many families felt the devastating impacts of COVID-19 before vaccines were widely available, including Gonzales’ family.
“When the vaccine first became available for our frontline health workers, our doctors and nurses in November of 2020. That same month, my husband’s three family members were hospitalized and later passed away from COVID. We had a triple funeral,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales was also the prime sponsor of the bill at the heart of the governor’s post on X.
The 2019 bill was designed to create a standard exemption form for families who wanted to opt out of vaccinations for school-age children for either medical or religious reasons.
The bill died on the legislative calendar that year. Instead, Polis signed an executive order to study why childhood vaccination rates are so low in the state. He did, eventually, sign a bill tightening vaccine exemptions a year later.
“That bill in 2019 was not a mandate. It was, however, meant to increase the public health and safety for our children in public schools. So to see the governor miswrite history in that manner is extraordinarily disappointing,” Gonzales said.
Polis’ team told FOX31 late Thursday night that the governor remains opposed to RFK Jr.’s stance on vaccines.
Gonzales said she’s still stunned by the governor’s initial comments.
“We had to organize ourselves vaccine equity clinics in order to get the information out. And I remember Governor Polis congratulating, applauding our work. So now to see him applauding and siding up alongside an anti-vaxxer, to lead our nation’s health agencies, I don’t even have words. I’m that appalled,” said Gonzales. “My door is always open, I’m a phone call away. But it’s not me he needs to apologize to, it’s to the Coloradans who have lost family members to vaccine-preventable illnesses.”
New leadership in the Senate was just elected this past week. Gonzales said the governor has a lot of rebuilding of trust to do with their caucus going forward.
