How abortion in Colorado could affect your vote

Abortion is a hot topic in the November election on many levels — but especially on Colorado’s ballot, which contains Amendment 79 — a proposed amendment that would enshrine the state’s protections against abortion in the Colorado constitution.

The fate of abortion access is currently determined by the states after the US Supreme Court’s 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, which for decades established a basic right to abortion. In our course Voter Voice Poll with other Colorado media outlets shows abortion ranks in the top five issues among the thousands of voters who responded, with self-identified liberals particularly concerned about potential restrictions.

Since the Supreme Court ruling, 13 states – mostly in the American South – have whether abortions are prohibited or the pre-existing trigger bans occurred. These are among the 21 states that The New York Times matters either banning the procedure or restricting it earlier in pregnancy than Roe v. Wade had allowed.

This story came out of us Voter Voice Pollwhere readers shared with us what issues they care about for the 2024 election

Colorado, where abortion services are available at any stage of pregnancyis among 29 states where abortion is generally legal — either by law or because the bans have been blocked by courts — though some states have restrictions later in pregnancy, The Times says.

American attitudes support access to abortion, with 63 percent this year saying it should be legal in all or most cases, according to Pew Research Center. It’s not a gender issue either: Both men and women tend to support abortion access at about the same level – 61% and 64% respectively.

Religion serves as a dividing line on the issue: 73% of white evangelical Protestants say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases, while majorities of non-evangelical white Protestants, black Protestants and Catholics say it should be legal in all or most cases. most cases, Pew reports. The highest level of support for legal abortion was 86% among the religiously unaffiliated.

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

Lang is of an age when she’s considering getting pregnant, and says having access to abortion care means there’s a plan for her should an unexpected medical emergency arise.

“In that kind of decision, there are a lot of unknowns,” she said in an interview.

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

If abortion is a primary concern for you – regardless of your point of view – this is where your vote has the biggest impact.

The presidential race

The US president can have an impact on abortion by proposing legislation, signing or vetoing bills, and enacting administrative regulations. The chief executive also appoints judges and justices who will interpret the laws in the matter. This year’s major party presidential candidates differ widely on abortion.

Former President Donald Trump, again the Republican nominee, has been swinging on his position on abortion. As president, he nominated three of the five Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and claimed responsibility for its reversal. He argues that abortion should be a matter left to the states.

“It is the vote of the people now; it’s not related to the federal government,” Trump said during the September 10 presidential debate. “We did a great service by doing that.”

trump card he recently said he would veto it a national abortion ban and said he believes in exceptions, including for rape, incest and situations that threaten the lives of expectant mothers. But he also favored restrictions: In his home state of Florida, he said publicly that he will vote no on a ballot measure this fall that would overturn that state’s six-week abortion ban.

His wife, former First Lady Melania Trump, recently announced her support for abortion access. “There is no doubt that there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women have from birth: individual freedom,” she said in a video from October 3rd.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, has also vowed to block the federal abortion ban. And as part of her platformshe has pledged to sign any congressional legislation that restores nationwide protections for abortion access.

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

Harris says the issue also includes access to IVF treatments, contraception and other methods of reproductive health care.

Congressional races

Congress, along with the president, has more power in the post-Roe era to enact nationwide protections as well as restrictions on abortion, depending on whether the House and Senate can reach an agreement — and the president signs the resulting legislation. Congress can also decide whether to keep, modify or repeal it the Hyde Amendmentwhich prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for abortions in most cases.

Candidates vying to represent Colorado in Congress in November’s election are divided along party lines over the abortion issue, with all Democrats running in the state’s eight congressional districts expressing support for restoring access to national by adopting legislation. Republicans largely say they oppose such legislation, with several saying they would support national action to restrict abortion.

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

Several Republicans said the states are the only place where such decisions can be made.

“The Supreme Court has given abortion decisions back to the states, and it should stay that way,” John Fabbricatore, the GOP candidate running in the 6th Congressional District, wrote in his response to The Post questionnaire.

Rep. Lauren Boebert, for her part, is pushing for a federal law to limit access to abortion. She represents District 3, but is running for election in District 4.

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

Ballot measures

This is where Colorado voters will have the most direct say this year: Amendment 79 would lift Colorado’s existing abortion access protections to the state constitution. It would also allow state and local government funding for abortion services by repealing a 1984 voter-passed amendment that prohibited the use of public money for that purpose.

That would allow the state to include abortion coverage as part of both Medicaid and government employee health insurance plans, but that would require additional steps.

Colorado to Protect Reproductive Freedomled by abortion rights groups, called for the measure to make the state ballot. Vote no on 79which includes anti-abortion groups like Colorado Right to Life, is at the helm of the opposition campaign.

To pass, the proposal needs 55 percent support from voters because it would change the constitution. Failure of the measure would mean keeping the 1984 language in the constitution and putting the power to make future abortion decisions in the hands of the state legislature.

State legislative races

The state government is currently falling under democratic control in the House, Senate and the governor’s office. The House operates with a 46-19 Democratic supermajority, while the Senate is run by a 23-12 majority. In the fall elections, Democrats are working to maintain or expand their majorities, while Republicans hope to reduce them.

If voters pass Amendment 79, state lawmakers would have less ability to change Colorado’s abortion protections. If it fails, the legislature would retain its ability to regulate abortion at the state level.

Several Democrats running in the most contentious House races, such as Rep. Stephanie Vigil in District 16 and Rep. Bob Marshall in the 43rd District, highlights his commitment to ensuring access to abortion. But Republican candidates in those districts tend to leave abortion out of their campaign materials, prioritizing other issues like 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 about protecting abortion access, while their political opponents are quieter on the issue — which, for now, it seems settled in Colorado. under democratic control.

Local races

Local elected officials have some power to decide whether to spend local government funds on abortion services or pass some local regulations, but almost all action on the issue is at the state level this year.

What’s next:

Housing on the ballot | Climate change on the ballot