Supporters of Evergreen-inspired social media bill vow to keep fighting after Polis veto

Less than a year after the shooting at Evergreen High School, supporters of a bill aimed at preventing future tragedies gathered Friday to react to Gov. Jared Polis' veto of the measure.

The event brought together elected officials, law enforcement leaders, first responders and parents affected by the shooting, many of whom argued the legislation could have helped investigators identify credible threats sooner.

House Bill 26-1255 was drafted in the aftermath of the September 2025 shooting and would have required social media companies to notify law enforcement within 24 hours after taking action against a user for certain online threats.

Supporters say the bill was designed to address shortcomings identified after the Evergreen shooting.

"According to police reports, there were warning signs. There were signals. But the systems in place were not equipped to respond quickly enough. Had this bill been in place, we would not be here," said Kim Halligan, and Evergreen High School mom and founder of Stand Evergreen.

Friday's event was originally intended to celebrate the bill's passage through the legislature.

"The original purpose of this rally was to celebrate getting this bill across the finish line and to urge Governor Polis to sign it into law," said state Rep. Tammy Story, one of the bill's sponsors. "Unfortunately, yesterday the governor decided to veto the bill."

Story said lawmakers began working on the proposal after learning investigators may have missed an opportunity to intervene before the shooting.

"Once it became clear that an unacceptable failure in the search warrant process resulted in a missed opportunity to interrupt the shooting, we got to work right away," Story said.

"We set out to build a policy that could intercept preventable tragedies so that no other community would ever have to endure what Evergreen did."

In his veto letter, Polis said he had recently signed Senate Bill 26-011, which requires social media companies to respond to search warrants within 72 hours, and raised concerns that House Bill 26-1255 could infringe on First Amendment protections.

Supporters argue the two bills address different stages of an investigation.

Under SB 26-011, social media companies must respond more quickly after law enforcement obtains a search warrant for account information. HB 26-1255 would have required social media companies to notify law enforcement when they take action against a user for certain online threats, potentially alerting investigators to a threat before a warrant is ever sought.

The bill also would have shortened the deadline for companies to comply with search warrants from 72 hours to 24 hours. Supporters say the reporting requirement was the most significant change.

Several speakers challenged Polis' argument that the bill could violate free speech protections.

"The First Amendment, which is the freedom of speech, we are not asking to prohibit anybody's speech," Jefferson County Sheriff Reggie Marinelli said. "Recognize that they are posting this on a public site, a public site that is seen by whomever wants to see it."
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty also pushed back on the governor's reasoning.

"This is not a political statement, this is a public safety reality," Dougherty said.

"If you see a threat on social media that someone says, 'I'm gonna kill so and so tomorrow,' you're allowed to pick up the phone and call the police. You should pick up the phone and call the police. I would expect you to pick up the phone and call the police. Why don't we require that same humanity from social media companies?"

Halligan acknowledged concerns about privacy and the burden placed on technology companies but said public safety should carry greater weight.

"I recognize the concerns regarding privacy, feasibility and operational burdens for technology companies," Halligan said. "Those concerns deserve thoughtful consideration but when credible threats to schools and communities exist, I believe, we believe the human cost must carry a greater weight than the operational inconvenience."

Halligan also rejected suggestions that the proposal would have weakened existing legal safeguards.

"Judicial approval and probable cause would still have been required before information could have been released," Halligan said. "It just moves the deadline to get the job done."

For Halligan, the governor's decision was difficult to understand.

"That is why the governor's decision is so difficult for me and others to understand," Halligan said. "For families like mine this bill represented a practical effort to close a very obvious gap."

Despite the setback, supporters say they plan to continue pushing for the legislation.

"I continue to believe in the absolute necessity of this policy to protect our communities and save lives," Story said. "As such, I intend to bring this bill back to the legislature next year when we have a new governor."

Polis is term-limited and will leave office in January 2027.