Colorado Democrats look to protect abortion rights as SCOTUS weighs axing Roe v. Wade

Democratic lawmakers in Colorado plan to introduce legislation next year that would protect abortion access in Colorado in light of a U.S. Supreme Court case that could overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade precedent. 

At a rally in front of the Colorado State Capitol on Wednesday, lawmakers said they would introduce legislation early next session to codify protections for the full range of reproductive care, including abortions, into state law. 

“It’s time to ensure that Colorado is truly a legal and safe place for anyone seeking access to their right to reproductive care,” state Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, said.

That legislation, dubbed the Reproductive Health Equity Act, will be sponsored by Gonzales, state Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Greenwood Village, and House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. State lawmakers return to the Capitol on Jan. 12.

“Our vision is a Colorado where abortion care is treated as health care, and when someone decides to have an abortion or seek out reproductive health care, they are able to get that care on the timeline they need with the support of the physician and health care providers whom they trust,” Gonzales said. 

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in Dobbs. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that concerns Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban. That ban, if upheld by the court, could open the door for a reconsideration of the landmark case Roe v. Wade, which established a constitutional right to abortion in 1973. The Supreme Court currently has a 6-3 conservative majority. 

Colorado lawmakers want to protect abortion access in case the court ruling erodes federal abortion rights.

With Wednesday’s oral arguments and the examples set by the Mississippi law and the Texas ban from earlier this year, the lawmakers said other states could be emboldened enact their own abortion restrictions. Women from states with limited abortion access already travel to Colorado for safer, more accessible care.

“We need a world, and a Colorado, where abortion isn’t just legal, but it must be accessible, affordable and supported in our communities,” Froelich said. 

A ballot measure that would have limited abortion access failed in 2020, as did a 2008 constitutional amendment question that would have defined “personhood” as beginning at the moment of conception. 

“The right to abortion is supported by an overwhelming majority of Americans, and here in Colorado we’ve made that clear at the ballot box over and over again,” Froelich said. 

As the court heard oral arguments, Colorado’s congressional delegation weighed in on the issue along party lines.

“In case you haven’t noticed, these laws are a relentless attack on Americans’ right to abortion care. They’re extremist, they’re inhumane and they’re wrong,” Rep. Diana DeGette, a Democrat who represents Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, said during a rally in front of the Supreme Court organized by the Center for Reproductive Rights. 

DeGette serves as the co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus with Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif. “Barbara and I are politicians, but we have a suggestion for you: Keep abortion decisions out of the hands of politicians. Keep abortion decisions in the hands of American citizens. That’s where it should be.”

Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, agrees with that.

“Women make their own health care decisions, not politicians,” he said in an emailed statement. “The Supreme Court has upheld that right for 50 years and it shouldn’t change.”

Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat who represents the 6th Congressional District, wrote on Twitter that the Roe precedent needs to stand and that today’s case is about “protecting health care and defending the law of the land.”

Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter expressed concern about the court backtracking on precedent.

“The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case has the potential to erase decades of progress made in the fight for reproductive freedom for women and families across this country,” he said in an emailed statement. “I will continue to work in Congress to ensure women have the constitutional right and the freedom to determine their own personal healthcare decisions.”

Meanwhile, Republican Reps. Ken Buck, Doug Lamborn and Lauren Boebert all signaled on social media their support for the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“As SCOTUS hears arguments today on the Dobbs Abortion case let us remember, the freedom to choose life is a beautiful thing. I am pro-life and trust the Justices to make the right decision for the unborn children, and families of America,” Buck tweeted.

A decision in Dobbs. v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is expected next summer.

Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Colorado Newsline, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com. Follow Colorado Newsline on Facebook and Twitter.