Texas’ six-week abortion ban has been in effect for seven months, and anti-abortion states such as Idaho have passed copycat legislation. Additionally, Oklahoma lawmakers (in the most restrictive abortion ban to date) have passed an outrageous bill that makes abortion a felony and punishes providers with up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
That’s why there has never been a more urgent time to affirm abortion rights, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation is praising legislators in Colorado for doing just that. On April 5, Colorado enacted a law that enshrines abortion rights in the Centennial State by passing the Reproductive Health Equity Act. This act not only affirms that people have the right to have an abortion, but it also blocks public entities from denying or restricting abortion.
Colorado joins 15 other states and Washington, D.C., in codifying abortion rights.
“The religious war against women’s and reproductive rights is moving at lightning speed,” comments Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “Hurray for Colorado for so resoundingly affirming the basic human right of individuals to reproductive self-determination.”
In fact, Colorado has a notable tradition of supporting reproductive rights. In 1967, Colorado Gov. John Love signed into law the first legislation to liberalize abortion laws, years before the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion legal throughout the country.
The ultraconservative U.S. Supreme Court is slated to determine the fate of Roe v. Wade this June. Currently, 12 states have trigger laws, or abortion bans that will go into effect if Roe is overturned. Additionally, eight states, including FFRF’s home state of Wisconsin, have pre-Roe abortion bans on the books that may be reinstated.
We must urge our legislators in other states to follow Colorado’s lead.
Photo by Steve Edreff via Shutterstock.
