Legislation to codify the right to abortion in Colorado law cleared the state House of Representatives Monday afternoon, and moves next to the state Senate.
The House voted 40-24 to pass HB22-1279 after a three-hour debate. All votes in favor were from Democrats, and all votes in opposition came from Republicans.
Democrats control the Senate, too, and they’re expected to pass this bill. The governor, Jared Polis, is also a Democrat and he’s indicated he’ll sign the bill into law once it gets to his desk.
The first hearing for this bill, in the House Health and Insurance Committee last week, ran for about 14 hours and adjourned just before 4 a.m. The second hearing ran from Friday morning to Saturday morning, as Republicans set a modern record by stretching the debate for roughly a full day. The only reason Monday morning’s debate was so relatively short is that chamber rules limit discussion during a third reading of a bill.
HB22-1279 declares the absolute right to abortion in Colorado at any point in a pregnancy. That’s already legal in this state, but Colorado law does not affirmatively state as much — hence the perceived need by Democrats for new legislation. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in the coming months on Roe vs. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide.
If Roe falls, 22 states will ban abortion outright, as dictated by state laws current as of Monday. Colorado Democrats want zero ambiguity in state statute if and when abortion rights are upended at the federal level.
“Why this is being proposed as a state law is because counties and municipalities in the state can decide for themselves what their law is going to be,” should the court overturn Roe, said bill sponsor and House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, a Pueblo Democrat. “How is that safe? How does that make sense for the state of Colorado?”
These Democrats want to do even more by enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution, though they can’t do that without voter approval. They’re plotting a ballot measure in 2024.
This bill not only affirms the right to abortion but states that “every pregnant individual” — including those under 18 years old — “has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion.”
It also states, “a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state.”
Republicans brought a slew of amendments over the past week and each was rejected. They and Democratic lawmakers both agreed there is no room to meet in the middle on this issue.
Though they knew they could not stop the bill, Republicans gave final speeches just before the House vote.
“This is barbaric,” said state Rep. Terri Carver, a Colorado Springs Republican.
“May god have mercy on us,” said state Rep. Kim Ransom, a Douglas County Republican.
“Who is standing up for the rights of these little people?” shouted Republican state Rep. Richard Holtorf of Akron.
Multiple witnesses said they saw a gun spill from Holtorf’s possession and onto the floor outside the House chamber as he was moving around during the debate on the bill. It is legal for lawmakers to carry guns in the Capitol, though members of the public cannot do so.
Republicans have been running anti-abortion bills and ballot measures for years without success. Late last month, Colorado Democrats rejected a slate of GOP bills that, among other things, would have criminalized abortion.
On many occasions over the last week, Republican lawmakers have argued against HB22-1279 on the grounds that everyone “deserves a birthday.”
During Monday’s debate, Democratic state Rep. Shannon Bird of Westminster countered, “Every child deserves more than just a birthday.”
Children also deserve families that are ready to welcome them and societies ready to support them, she said.
“Caring about a child is not limited to making sure they are born. They are a lifelong commitment,” Bird said.
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Right-to-abortion bill passes Colorado House after days of Republican protest - The Denver Post
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