How your vote can influence abortion in Colorado

Abortion is a hot-button issue in the November election on many levels — but especially so on the Colorado ballot, which includes Amendment 79, a proposed change that would enshrine state abortion protections into Colorado’s constitution.

The fate of abortion access is currently being determined by states following the 2022 overturn by the U.S. Supreme Court of Roe v. Wade, which established a fundamental right to abortion for decades. Our constant Polling of voters’ votes with other Colorado media shows abortion ranks among the top five issues among thousands of voters who responded, with self-described liberals particularly concerned about potential restrictions.

Since the Supreme Court’s ruling, 13 states have done so – mostly in the American South or banned abortion or whether previous activation bans have become effective. They are among 21 countries that say so The New York Times counts. as prohibiting the procedure or limiting it earlier in pregnancy than Roe v. Wade allowed.

This story came from ours Polling of voters’ votesin which readers shared with us the issues that interest them in the context of the 2024 elections

Colorado, where abortion services are available at any stage of pregnancyis among 29 states where abortion is widely legal – either by law or because courts have blocked bans – although some states have restrictions later in pregnancy, The Times reports.

Americans’ attitudes are leaning toward supporting access to abortion, with 63% saying this year that it should be legal in all or most cases. Pew Research Center. It’s not a gender issue either: both men and women support access to abortion at roughly the same levels – 61% and 64% respectively.

The dividing line on this issue is religion: 73% of white evangelical Protestants say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, while majorities of white, non-evangelical Protestants, black Protestants, and Catholics believe abortion should be legal in all cases. or in most cases in most cases, according to Pew. The highest level of support for legal abortion was 86% among people with no religious affiliation.

Stephanie Lang, a liberal who lives in Denver, was among voters who ranked abortion as the most important issue in their response to the Voter Voices poll.

Lang is at the age where she’s considering getting pregnant, and she says having access to abortion care means she has a plan in place in case an unexpected medical situation arises.

“There are a lot of unknowns when making this type of decision,” she said in an interview.

Lang also argues that protecting abortion access in Colorado would benefit the broader region. “If Colorado has this, it will be a safe haven for the states around us,” she said.

If abortion is the most important issue for you – regardless of your opinion on it – this is where your vote will have the greatest impact.

Presidential race

The US president can influence abortion by proposing legislation, signing or vetoing bills, and adopting administrative regulations. The chief executive also appoints judges and judges who will interpret the rules on the matter. This year’s major party presidential candidates differ significantly on the issue of abortion.

Former President Donald Trump, again the candidate of the Republican Party, changed his position on abortion. He nominated as president three of the five Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and admitted to overturning it. He believes abortion should remain an issue left to the states.

“It is now the people’s vote; it is not related to the federal government,” Trump said during the meeting presidential debate on September 10. “I did a great service in the process.”

Trump he recently said he would veto it a nationwide ban on abortion and has said he believes in exceptions, including for rape, incest and life-threatening situations for pregnant mothers. But he also favored restrictions: in his home state of Florida he said publicly that she will vote “no” this fall on a resolution that would overturn the state’s six-week abortion ban.

His wife, former first lady Melania Trump, recently announced her support for abortion access. “There is undoubtedly no room for compromise when it comes to the fundamental right that every woman has had from birth: individual freedom,” she said in video from October 3.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, also promised to block the federal abortion ban. And as part of it her platformpledged to sign any congressional legislation restoring nationwide protection for access to abortion.

“You don’t have to abandon your faith or deeply held beliefs to agree: the government shouldn’t tell (a woman) what to do,” Harris said in podcast interview from October 6.

Harris says the issue also includes access to in vitro fertilization, contraception and other reproductive health methods.

Congressional races

Congress and the president have greater power in the post-Roe era to pass nationwide protections as well as restrictions on abortion, depending on whether the House and Senate reach an agreement and the president signs the resulting legislation. Congress may also decide to maintain, amend, or repeal Hyde amendmentwhich in most cases prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions.

Candidates vying to represent Colorado in Congress in the November election are split along party lines on the abortion issue, with all Democrats running in the state’s eight congressional districts expressing support for restoring statewide access through legislation. Republicans mostly say they oppose such legislation, with a few saying they would support a national effort to restrict abortion.

“I am horrified by what is happening to women across the country because of Trump’s abortion bans,” U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Democrat from the 7th Congressional District, wrote in response to a Denver Post questionnaire, adding: “I co-sponsored legislation to codify access to abortion care in Colorado, and I am committed to doing so in Congress.”

Several Republicans said states are the only place to make such decisions.

“The Supreme Court has restored abortion decisions to the states, and it should remain that way,” John Fabbricatore, a Republican candidate running in the 6th Congressional District, wrote in his response to The Post’s questionnaire.

For her part, Republican Lauren Boebert is pushing for federal law to restrict access to abortion. He represents District III, but is running in District IV.

“Life begins at conception and I will always defend it,” Boebert wrote in her response to The Post’s questionnaire. “I fully support federal pro-life legislation that protects the lives of the most vulnerable members of our society.”

Voting measures

This is where Colorado voters will have the most direct say this year: Amendment 79 would elevate existing abortion access protections in Colorado to the state constitution. It would also allow state and local governments to fund abortion services by repealing a 1984 ballot amendment that prohibited the use of public money for that purpose.

This would potentially allow the state to include abortion in health insurance plans for both Medicaid and government employees, but that would require further action.

Coloradans to protect reproductive freedomled by abortion rights groups, petitioned to introduce state voting. Vote No on 79which includes anti-abortion groups such as Right to Life Colorado, is spearheading the opposition campaign.

The proposal requires 55% voter support to be passed because it would mean changing the constitution. Failure to do so would mean retaining 1984 language in the constitution and placing the power to make future abortion decisions in the hands of the state legislature.

State legislative races

The state government is currently failing under Democrat control in the House of Representatives, the Senate and the governor’s office. The House operates under a 46-19 Democratic majority, while the Senate is governed by a 23-12 majority. In the fall elections, Democrats are working to maintain or expand their majority, while Republicans hope to narrow it.

If voters pass Amendment 79, state lawmakers will have less ability to change abortion protections in Colorado. If it fails, the Legislature will retain the ability to regulate abortion at the state level.

Several Democrats running in the House’s most controversial races, such as Rep. Stephanie Vigil of the 16th District and Republican Bob Marshall of the 43rd District, are emphasizing their commitment to abortion access. However, Republican Party candidates in these districts tend to omit abortion from their campaign materials, prioritizing instead other issues such as crime, immigration and the economy.

In state Senate races, Democratic candidates including Cole Buerger in District 5 and Vivian Smotherman in District 6 are also vocal in their support for protecting abortion access, while their political opponents remain silent on the issue – which for now appears settled in Colorado under Democrat control.

Local racing

Local elected officials have some power to decide how local government funds are spent on abortion services or to pass some local laws, but this year almost all of the action on the issue is at the state level.

What’s next:

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