DENVER — Colorado State Sen. Julie Gonzales and Colorado Rep. Meg Froelich have filed a bill title that would create more legal protections for abortion services providers.
“Rep. Meg Froelich and I have just filed a bill title to protect Colorado abortion care providers and ensure access for anyone who seeks abortion care at this critical time,” Gonzales said in statement released on social media.
The bill’s details are not final but could include securing business licenses for abortion providers or helping out-of-state providers transfer to Colorado.
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As multiple states outlaw abortion following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center are preparing to welcome more women seeking the procedure.
“We need a lot of support,” said Dr. Kelly Peters, Boulder Valley Women’s Health Center Medical Director. “It's scary to me to look at some of the states where it is illegal or where it's going to be very restricted and look at what they're trying to do to providers in terms of imposing penalties that are financial or even, you know, going to prison, losing your license.”
Peters said she looks forward to learning more about the bill and how it will protect providers.
“We definitely would welcome anything that would help protect abortion providers continue to provide safe care to all of our patients,” Peters said.
The bill title comes at a time when Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Vice President and Medical Director Kristina Tocce said Colorado is preparing to welcome women seeking the procedure.
“We definitely need to expand our hours, expand days, and with that comes expansion of staffing, which is challenging in today's workforce. But we will get there,” Tocce said. “What we have seen with SB8 in Texas is a patient influx and now we're going to see that on a nationwide scale. And, again, we just want to serve as many patients as possible.”
The bill likely won't move forward without a special session before the next legislative session in January.
