Denver, Colorado – In Colorado, abortion is legal with no gestational age limit, but there is no constitutional protection for this right. This opens the door for potential restrictions by a Republican governor and legislature. However, a proposed Ballot Initiative 89 aims to change that by explicitly recognizing the right to abortion in the state constitution.
If passed, Ballot Initiative 89 would prevent the state and local governments from denying, impeding, or discriminating against the exercise of the right to abortion. Additionally, it would eliminate a longstanding prohibition on state health insurance coverage of abortion services for public employees and individuals on public health plans.
The Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom coalition has collected over 225,000 signatures in support of the initiative, surpassing their initial goal of 185,000. To qualify, the campaign needed 124,238 valid signatures.
In Colorado, ballot initiatives require signatures from at least 2 percent of registered voters in every Senate district. The coalition is close to meeting this requirement in three state senate districts where more signatures are needed.
“The news of Arizona’s near-total abortion ban has highlighted the vulnerability of states without constitutional protection for abortion rights,” said Jess Grennan, campaign director for the coalition. Colorado is among 11 states where efforts are underway to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution through citizen-led initiatives.
In Colorado, such measures must receive support from 55 percent of voters to pass, making the journey to secure abortion rights more challenging. This initiative represents a crucial step in protecting reproductive freedoms in the state and ensuring access to safe and legal abortion services.