Proposition 133, which expands definition of human trafficking, projected to pass, according to AP

Proposition 133 was projected to pass by the Associated Press with 70% of the votes counted on Election Night. 

Proposition 133 would expand the definition of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to include buying sexual activity with a minor. It would be a Class 1 felony with a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole, which is the same as first-degree murder.  

According to a study released by state legislative analysts earlier this year on child sex trafficking statutes in all 50 states,  there are sentences of up to life in prison in 23 states, but only six of those states mandate life without parole. Colorado would become the seventh if Proposition 133 passes.

In Colorado, human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude is defined as selling, recruiting and transporting a minor for commercial sexual activity. It's a Class 2 felony that carries a sentence of 8-48 years in prison with the possibility of parole. Judges can give longer sentences if they classify it as a crime of violence, or if the defendant caused serious bodily injury or used a deadly weapon.

Proponents say life sentences will help deter child sex trafficking.

A study by Common Sense Institute found Colorado had the 15th-highest rate of human trafficking in 2024 and, on average,  64% of victims were children.

Opponents of Proposition 133, including the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CCASA), worry victims could face the same sentence as their traffickers. CCASA says many victims are forced to recruit other kids and, while state law allows them to use that in their defense, CCASA says those who can't prove they were coerced would now face life in prison because judges would no longer have discretion.

Democrats killed a bill identical to Proposition 133 in the state legislature this year.

It is statutory, so it needs a simple majority to pass, and the state legislature can change or repeal it.