State ballot initiative seeks unrestricted abortion access, public funding

By Veronica Ambuul

DENVER. A coalition of pro-life organizations in Colorado is urging voters to reject Amendment 79, a November ballot initiative that would create a constitutional right to unrestricted abortion in the state.

Among other things, the amendment would ban any parental notification requirements, regardless of how young a woman seeking an abortion might be.

“There is no age restriction on abortion in Colorado; if a boyfriend or school counselor is pressuring a 15-year-old girl to have an abortion, that 15-year old’s parents have a right to know. But the amendment outlaws parental notice,” according to righttoknowco.com, a website run by Pro-Life Colorado, of which the Colorado Catholic Conference is a member.

The ballot initiative would also ban any restrictions on late-term abortions in the state.

“Even reasonable limits such as prohibiting abortions in the ninth month on healthy mothers and healthy babies would be illegal under the amendment — resulting in more third-trimester abortions even after a baby can feel pain and survive outside of the womb,” the website states.

Thirdly, the amendment would repeal the ban on public funding for abortion, although the potential fiscal impact on Colorado taxpayers is not discussed in the “Blue Book” issued by the Secretary of State.

“The amendment would repeal the current ban on using taxpayer money to fund abortions, and open the door for Medicaid and public employee health plans to cover abortion services. This means that Colorado taxpayers will be required to pay for abortions — something that’s not happening today,” wrote Scott Shamblin, executive director of Colorado Right to Life, in a Sept. 15 guest column in The (Colo. Springs) Gazette. “The claim that there will be no fiscal impact is not only misleading, it’s absurd,” Shamblin wrote.

Legal experts have also warned that, if Amendment 79 becomes law, taxpayers could be forced to pay for abortions performed on women traveling to Colorado from other states.

In order to become part of the state constitution, the ballot initiative needs to receive 55 percent of the vote.