Parental Rights at the Supreme Court and the Battle for Border Security

On October 13, 2025, guest host Yvonne Paez fills in for Kim Monson to explore the critical intersection of parental rights, state governance, and border security with Colorado Representative Scott Bottoms, parental rights advocate Erin Lee, financial advisor Jody Hinsey, and retired Border Patrol agent Chris Harris.

Six Priorities to Reclaim Colorado

Start listening at 17:05 – Hour 1

Scott Bottoms, Colorado state representative for House District 15 and gubernatorial candidate, outlines his comprehensive plan to restore the state. Bottoms identifies parental rights as his top priority, citing hospitals performing transgender surgeries on minors without parental knowledge, currently under FBI investigation. He warns that Colorado ranks second in the nation for crime and that the Venezuelan cartel’s U.S. headquarters has been declared by the DEA to be in Aurora.

Bottoms calls for reclaiming safety and security, economic vitality through energy independence, accessible healthcare guided by patients rather than government mandates, government transparency, and preparing Colorado for the AI revolution while preserving human innovation. He emphasizes that support for these priorities crosses party lines, with Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters all recognizing the state’s problems.

“The biggest thing that we’re trying to accomplish is we’re really going to reclaim Colorado for all Coloradans. One of the things we’re finding is that Democrats, Republicans, unaffiliated, nobody is okay with where Colorado is right now.”

Scott Bottoms, Colorado State Representative, House District 15

From Art Club to the Supreme Court: Fighting for Parental Rights

Start listening at 30:38 – Hour 1

Erin Lee, founder of Protect Kids Colorado, reports that her federal lawsuit against the Poudre School District has reached the Supreme Court. After her daughter was recruited into a transgender indoctrination club disguised as an art club, Lee discovered the school was proud of providing what they called a “safe space” from parents. The case, Lee v. Poudre, was conferenced by SCOTUS on September 29th and again on October 10th, with the court holding the case for further consideration rather than dismissing it.

Lee reveals that Childs v. Salazar, challenging Colorado’s law forcing counselors to affirm gender-confused children, appears headed for a 6-3 victory at the Supreme Court. She has also filed suit against House Bill 1312, which mandates using chosen pronouns and allows the state to remove children from parents who do not affirm their child’s gender identity. Colorado, she notes, ranks tenth in the nation for child mutilation procedures related to gender confusion.

Through Protect Kids Colorado, Lee is circulating three citizen ballot petitions addressing child mutilation, males in female spaces, and child trafficking. The organization needs 125,000 valid signatures by February. She calls for evangelical churches to join the Catholic Church, which has already mandated preach-and-sign weekends through year’s end.

“Colorado is savable. It’s worth saving and it’s savable, but it’s going to take we the people working together to do it.”

Erin Lee, Founder, Protect Kids Colorado

Building Financial Resilience Against Uncertainty

Start listening at 62:05 – Hour 2

Jody Hinsey of Mint Financial Strategies discusses preparing for financial emergencies amid government shutdown concerns. She notes there have been 21 government shutdowns since 1976, averaging almost two and a half per administration, and that the average person gets laid off nearly three times during their career, taking five to six months to find replacement work.

Hinsey recommends building an emergency reserve of three to six months of bare-bones expenses. Practical savings strategies include canceling unused subscriptions, eating at home more often, selling unused items on Facebook Marketplace, and avoiding toll roads. She emphasizes that small adjustments to spending habits can build rainy day funds quickly.

“And one of the things that we talk about at Mint Financial is building that strong foundation before you start thinking about planning for retirement or those long-term financial goals. And that really comes down to building a strong emergency reserve or a rainy day fund.”

Jody Hinsey, Mint Financial Strategies

Border Patrol Pivots to Interior Enforcement

Start listening at 71:45 – Hour 2

Chris Harris, retired Border Patrol agent with 36 years in law enforcement, reports that the southern border is now the most secure he has ever seen it. With border crossings dramatically reduced, Border Patrol is pivoting to assist ICE with interior enforcement in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland.

Harris describes taking down a Chicago apartment complex overtaken by Trendero gang members, mirroring the Aurora situation from last year. He challenges the conflation of legal and illegal immigration, noting that his Mexican-born wife went through years of legal process to become a citizen. At a Serbian festival, he met immigrants from Brazil and Spain who spent years in the legal immigration system and firmly support enforcement against those who cut the line.

Harris addresses the controversy over agents wearing masks, explaining that they face doxxing campaigns that expose their families’ home addresses and children’s schools to hostile activists. One woman was arrested after following an ICE agent home and using a bullhorn to announce his presence to the neighborhood. Most Americans support enforcement, Harris notes, recounting how Chicago residents cheered and gave thumbs up as Border Patrol boats were launched on the Chicago River.

“You either want us to be a country of law where we enforce the duly enacted laws that Congress has enacted a president sign off on, including laws the U.S. Supreme Court said, yes, they are OK, they’re constitutional, or we are mob rule.”

Chris Harris, Retired Border Patrol Agent