Guest Blog: Yes on Proposition KK
We are facing an epidemic of violence and we cannot turn our backs on those who need help
Megan Carvajal is the executive director of The Blue Bench. This article originally appeared in the Colorado Times-Recorder on Oct. 11, 2024.
Vote Yes on Proposition KK this November
As the executive director of The Blue Bench, Denver’s leading organization providing support to survivors of sexual violence, I am writing this as a plea—for the women, for the survivors, for the people in our community who feel like no one cares. In a climate where it often feels like women’s safety, healing, and dignity are pushed aside, we have an opportunity to make a profound difference by voting yes on Proposition KK this November.
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds have plummeted by 75%
Colorado is in crisis. The funding for victim services—especially for survivors of domestic and sexual violence—has been gutted over the past several years. The federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds, that organizations like The Blue Bench rely on, have plummeted by 75%. These cuts are not just numbers on a spreadsheet; they translate to fewer services for survivors, more staff layoffs, and less support for those who are struggling to rebuild their lives after experiencing violence.
At The Blue Bench, we are being forced into impossible decisions. How do we keep providing critical services when the funding simply isn’t there? How do we continue to support survivors of sexual violence when our resources are being cut year after year? Since 2018, funding for victim services in Colorado has dropped from $56 million to just $13 million in 2024. Without a sustainable solution, countless survivors will be left without access to the counseling, advocacy, legal services, and safe housing they need to recover.
We are facing an epidemic of violence and we cannot turn our backs on those who need help
And it’s not just about the survivors who come through our doors—it’s about all the women and girls in Colorado who deserve a safer future. One in two women in our state will experience sexual violence in their lifetime. One in two trans individuals, and one in three men, will also become survivors. We are facing an epidemic of violence, and we cannot turn our backs on those who need help the most.
The Blue Bench supported survivors of Dr. Stephen Matthews, the Denver cardiologist recently convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting eleven women. Here you can read about one of these brave women’s experiences in their own words. Our advocates stood by their side throughout the entire legal process—providing support during hospital examinations, court hearings, and police reporting. This advocacy was critical in helping survivors pursue justice, despite the emotional toll of reliving their trauma.
Matthews was charged with 38 counts, and the jury found him guilty on nearly all. This case serves as a chilling reminder of the ongoing threat of sexual violence in our community. Survivors need comprehensive support and advocacy, but with reduced funding, organizations like The Blue Bench are struggling to continue providing these essential services.
Survivors need comprehensive support and advocacy, but with reduced funding, organizations like The Blue Bench are struggling to continue providing these essential services.
Proposition KK offers a path forward
Proposition KK offers a path forward. By enacting a modest excise tax on gun and ammunition manufacturers and sellers, Prop KK will generate $39 million annually to support victim services, mental health programs, and violence prevention efforts across Colorado. This funding will support crime victim services, ensuring that survivors of domestic and sexual violence have access to life-saving resources like therapy, legal aid, housing, and long-term case management. It will also provide mental health services for veterans and youth—two groups that face alarmingly high rates of suicide and mental health challenges—and help make our schools safer by funding programs designed to prevent violence and promote resilience among students.
This funding is not just a lifeline for the organizations providing these services—it’s a lifeline for every woman, child, and survivor who needs our support. We are already seeing the devastating effects of underfunding. Victim service agencies across Colorado are stretched beyond their limits. Staff are being laid off, programs are shutting down, and the survivors who rely on these services are left without the help they need.
In a world where it often feels like no one cares about women, where funding for vital services is slashed and survivors are left to navigate their trauma alone, Prop KK is an opportunity to show that we do care. That we believe in a Colorado where survivors are supported, where mental health services are accessible, and where violence is prevented before it happens.
At The Blue Bench, we have done everything we can to support our community during this most difficult time. But we cannot do it alone. We need the support of Colorado voters to ensure that survivors of violence have the resources they need to heal and that future generations can grow up in a safer, more supportive state.
This is more than a vote for funding – it’s a vote for women
This is more than a vote for funding—it’s a vote for women. A vote for survivors. A vote for a better, more compassionate Colorado. My name is Megan Carvajal, and I am a survivor of domestic and sexual violence. Please, vote yes on Proposition KK.
The Women’s Foundation of Colorado is a nonpartisan organization. The opinions of guest bloggers are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of The Foundation.
Check out The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s 2024 ballot guide, The Womanifesto, for all of our positions, including on Prop KK.
