Before April 4, Colorado had very few abortion regulations —the few restrictions Colorado had included parental notification for minors trying to obtain an abortion and protection against infanticide. Following Governor Polis’ signing of House Bill 22-1279, “Reproductive Health Equity Act,” even those restrictions are gone.

Colorado is now home to the most extreme abortion law in the US — a law so excessive that it allows for abortions during labor and delivery, partial-birth abortions, and infanticide. HB 1279 codifies abortion into Colorado law.

Colorado Goes Radical on Abortion

HB 1279 states, “Every individual has a fundamental right to use or refuse contraception; every pregnant individual has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state.”

HB 1279 goes on to define “reproductive health care” as including “prenatal, postnatal, and delivery care” and declares that no entity can “Deprive, through prosecution, punishment, or other means, an individual of the individual’s right to act or refrain from acting during the individual’s own pregnancy based on the potential, actual, or perceived impact on the pregnancy, the pregnancy’s outcomes, or on the pregnant individual’s health.”

Simply put, pre-born babies have zero rights in Colorado, and no entity or person can enact any restrictions on reproductive health care.

Republicans Point to Problems

During testimony for HB 1279, Republican lawmakers pointed out that notifying a minor’s parents about the minor’s desire for an abortion might be considered restrictive under HB 1279, and thereby undo current regulations requiring parental notification. Former Colorado House Majority Leader Amy Stephens stated, “Parental notification could easily be seen as a ‘burden’ to reproductive care.”

Republicans further pointed out during testimony that the language of HB 1279 opens the door to infanticide. Senator Paul Lundeen (Republican, D-9) stated, “If a child is challenged in some way with one or more imperfections, I believe this law puts that child in danger.”

Indeed, the law protects against restrictions and regulations on postnatal and delivery care and says there can’t be any consequences for reproductive decisions regarding pregnancy outcomes. That’s concerning as a typical pregnancy outcome is a birthed infant.

Democrats rejected the possibility of the above Republican points. However, when Republicans offered amendments seeking to clarify the language of HB 1279 and specifically protect against infanticide and safeguard parental notification for minors, Democrats rejected the amendments.

For example, Senator Holbert (Republican, D-30) put forth an amendment that said, “‘Government interference’ or ‘interfere’ does not mean or include the application of the ‘Colorado Parental Notification Act.'” And Representative Baisely (Republican, D-39) put forth an amendment that said, “The state of Colorado endows humankind with the right to life beginning at the moment of birth.” Democrats shot down these amendments.

In fact, Republicans offered 16 amendments during the debate to clarify what’s allowed under HB 1279. Democrats rejected all such attempts, leading to a radical partisan bill passing on a party-line vote.

The tiny hand of 21-week- old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother’s uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life. ‘ Photo courtesy of Dar’Ya Sip.

Democrats Aren’t Representing Coloradoans

During the debate in the House, over 250 Coloradoans testified in opposition to HB 1279, while only 50 testified in support. During the debate in the Senate, over 215 Coloradoans testified in opposition, while only 60 testified in support.

More importantly, the above numbers align with Americans’ views on abortion. Gallup’s May 2020 poll found that 70 percent of Americans believe abortion should have limits. That breaks down even further, with 65 percent of Americans saying abortion should not be legal in the second trimester and 81 percent saying it should not be legal in the third trimester.

What You Can Do

Lawmakers are elected to represent their constituents. But with the passage of HB 1279, Democrats in Colorado’s General Assembly proved they value their radical abortion agenda over the will of Colorado voters. What’s more, Democrats went a step further and used HB 1279 to codify abortion into Colorado law. That means HB 1279 applies to all of Colorado, and even if conservative municipalities want to place limits on abortion facilities or procedures, they can’t.

Do you think infanticide should be illegal? Should minors be required to inform their parents about their desire for an abortion? Perhaps you believe abortions without restrictions are a step too far and lawmakers should better represent people’s will. If you answered yes to any of the above, contact your legislators and tell them what you think. Or better yet, remember HB 1279 when it comes time to vote in November.

The Maverick Observer is an online free-thinking publication interested in the happenings in our region. We promote open views without bias. All views are welcome – it is how we learn from each other and grow as a community.