After more than 29 hours of often tense and emotional debate over three days, Colorado lawmakers passed Democrats’ three priority abortion and gender-affirming-care bills Saturday night.
The bills passed Saturday place tighter regulations upon the advertising and unproven scientific claims of crisis-pregnancy centers, codify protections for providers of abortion- and gender-affirming care, and extend insurance coverage to abortion and other reproductive health-related treatment. They represent the latest steps in Democrats’ ongoing efforts to enshrine and expand abortion access in state law amid the national fallout from the Dobbs decision in June, a push that began last year and is set to continue with ballot measures in November 2024.
“I’m so glad we were able to deliver on the promise of (the Reproductive Health Equity Act),” said Democratic Rep. Meg Froelich of the bill’s passage. “The new patchwork of laws across the U.S. is confusing and dangerous. Our fundamental rights have been reaffirmed, established and tested in Colorado.”
That means making sure patients and providers are protected, ensuring access and affordability and removing barriers to care because of “biased counseling,” she added. “It was a lot — three bills and many days of debate. But the threats are real, and there is an urgency now due to the landscape.”
Read this full story from our partners at The Denver Post.
Politics
