2 weeks Ago By Megan Ulu Lani Boyanton
Colorado voters will soon decide whether access to abortion is enshrined in the state’s constitution after ticking yes or no on their ballots for Amendment 79 . If approved by at least 55% of voters — a higher threshold to pass because it would change the Colorado Constitution — the measure would guarantee abortion access statewide by protecting it as a right in Colorado, thereby shielding it from the agendas of lawmakers. Here, abortion is currently allowed at any stage of pregnancy .
ELECTION RESULTS: Live Colorado election results for the 2024 election Amendment 79 would also repeal a ban from 1984 that prohibits the use of state and local government funding for abortion services. That means that Medicaid recipients and public employees on government health insurance plans could have the procedures covered in the future. Colorado is one of 10 states where voters are weighing on abortion access, with several also deciding whether or not to enshrine it within their own constitutions.
The other nine states include Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New York and South Dakota. Support of Amendment 79 is led by Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom , a coalition of reproductive rights and progressive advocacy groups, which petitioned for the measure to make the ballot. The organization has been a fundraising Goliath, with almost $6.
4 million in its war chest through Nov. 1, according to TRACER , the website that discloses campaign finances. Advocates argue that the passage of Amendment 79 would guarantee health care access and women’s freedom of choice because abortion would be insulated from future legislative decisions.
One party at the helm of the opposition movement is the Pro-Life Colorado Fund , a coalition of more than 50 anti-abortion groups, which received $250,000 in campaign contributions from the Denver Archdiocese and the Colorado Catholic Conference. It raised close to $373,000 through Nov. 1, TRACER reports.
Opponents largely take issue with the use of taxpayer funds for abortion services, alleging that public spending could rise if the state and local governments opt to cover the procedure. Ballot boxes and voting centers in Colorado close at 7 p.m.
on Tuesday..
