Western Colorado is organizing to protect abortion rights, for real.
In 2022, Colorado enacted a statute to protect access to contraception and abortion, but because it’s just a statute, Republicans can still try to undermine the law by introducing bills and ballot measures to try to limit abortion access. So groups that support reproductive freedom are working to put Initiative #89 on the 2024 state ballot.
Initiative #89 is a constitutional amendment that would enshrine the right to an abortion in Colorado’s Constitution. The measure would also assure that state and local public employees and Medicaid recipients are covered for abortion in their health insurance plans.
Initiative #89, The Colorado Right to Abortion and Health Insurance Coverage (pdf), would amend Colorado’s Constitution to add the following:
Section 32. ABORTION — THE RIGHT TO ABORTION IS HEREBY RECOGNIZED. GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT DENY, IMPEDE, OR DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE EXERCISE OF THAT RIGHT, INCLUDING PROHIBITING HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR ABORTION.
Initiative #89 supporters need to obtain 124,238 valid signatures from Colorado voters by August 5, 2024, including at least 2% of the registered voters from each of Colorado’s 35 state Senate districts, so supporters are aiming to gather 185,000 signatures by March, 2024.
Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Rights, the issue committee working to pass Initiative #89, is seeking help to gather signatures.
If you want a reason to get together with your friends while advancing a public good, consider hosting a party. The group has volunteers who will come to your home to train signature-gatherers or collect signatures. No group is too small, and every signature counts, they say.
If you are interested in helping, email Debora Fisk at dberryfisk@gmail.com;
And save the date of January 27, 2024, because Mesa County and Montrose County Democrats will be hosting parties to launch the petition.
For more information on the effort to get this measure on the November 5, 2024 ballot, contact Debbie Fisk, Regional Organizer for Cobalt Advocates, at the above email or at Debora@cobaltadvocates.org, or phone 970- 773-1717.
Given how many times the amendments to ban abortion haver failed, I’m betting this one will pass easily. Abortion bans are not popular, which some people don’t seem to be able to understand.
Too bad the initiative mandates that the state (iow taxpayers) pays for abortion. That will get a lot of “no” votes from many voters.
Also, since Medicare is a federal program, I’m pretty certian the voters of Colorado can’t mandate Medicare coverage.
Other than that, this seems to be what the Dobbs decision envisaged…that the voters in the states decide.
Thanks for catching that typo. It was supposed to be the state Medicaid program, not Medicare. I fixed it.
I believe that requirement of states is to 1)make sure employees for the state with state insurance polices have coverage and 2) make sure health insurance coverage by the state or generally does not explicitly prohibit abortions in women’s healthcare coverage, as many states have done so that even healthcare that once offered abortion coverage now was prohibited from doing it. I’m not an expert, there may be something else involved that I am not aware of.