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DENVER, Co. – Colorado voters have approved a proposal to put protections for reproductive rights into the state constitution, according to a call by The Associated Press. The measure won the necessary 55 percent of the vote to pass.
Colorado is a regional hub for abortion access.
The amendment is similar to a law Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed in 2022 and would codify protections for abortion including barring local governments from passing their own laws to try to restrict the procedure. It would also remove Colorado’s current constitutional ban against public funding for abortions. That would allow the state to cover the procedure under Medicaid and add it to state employee health plans.
Colorado was one of 10 states voting on abortion rights. That follows the U.S. Supreme Court overturning the federal right to abortion in 2022 and then many Republican-led state legislatures moving to limit abortion. Meanwhile, Colorado has been a destination for pregnant people banned from abortion treatment in nearby states.
Backers say it’s critical for Colorado’s constitution to have explicit language protecting abortion access because, unlike a law that the Legislature could repeal, any change to this measure would require another vote of the people. They also say public employees who need abortions should not be forced to pay out of pocket for the procedure and it should be treated like other legal healthcare services.
Opponents say it’s morally wrong to force taxpayers who oppose the procedure to pay for it.
Voters approved the public funding ban in 1984 but in more than decade have repeatedly struck down efforts to try and restrict abortion access.
Bente Birkeland covers public affairs for Colorado Public Radio.
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