Colorado Lawmakers Join Nearly 900 State Legislators to Express Support for Abortion Rights as Supreme Court Decides Future of Roe v. Wade
DENVER, CO – Today, thirty-nine Colorado legislators signed on to an amicus brief in support of legal abortion in Dobbs v. Women’s Health Organization,the Supreme Court case likely to decide the future of reproductive freedom in the United States. The brief, signed by 897 state legislators, represents the strongest showing ever recorded of state legislators supporting legal abortion nationwide.
The lawsuit challenges a Mississippi law that banned abortion services after 15 weeks of pregnancy — well before the 24-week precedent established by Roe v. Wade. The Texas and Mississippi laws are just two of nearly 600 anti-abortion bills introduced in 2021—the most state legislative attacks on abortion rights since the Roe decision.
“I’m proud to join nearly 900 lawmakers in states across the country who are taking action at the Supreme Court to stop state abortion bans,” said Majority Leader Daneya Esgar (D-Pueblo). “Attacks on health care, like the new laws in Texas and Mississippi and those that have been proposed here in Colorado by Republicans are dangerous and deprive people of their constitutional rights. For years I’ve fought for reproductive rights as a state lawmaker, and we will ensure that Colorado remains a safe place for patients around the country to access an abortion.”
This year Colorado Democrats continued to defend the right to reproductive care by defeating legislation that would criminalize abortion and create a state abortion registry. Additionally, legislators expanded access to legal abortion care by lifting restrictions facing survivors of sexual violence who are Medicaid patients.
“Today I joined nearly 900 state legislators to stand up for the right to safe and accessible abortion,” said Senator Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood). “I am dismayed by the blatant attempts to overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that would jeopardize health care rights for millions of people. While states work to restrict and even outright ban a person’s right to an abortion, here in Colorado we remain committed to protecting everyone’s reproductive freedoms and preventing dangerous policies like those in Texas and Mississippi from ever moving forward in our state.”
A complete list of Colorado legislators signed on to the amicus brief:
Representative Judy Amabile
Representative Jennifer Bacon
Representative Tracey Bernett
Representative Shannon Bird
Representative Andrew Boesenecker
Senator Janet Buckner
Senator James Coleman
Representative Lisa Cutter
Representative Lindsey Daugherty
Representative Monica Duran
Majority Leader Daneya Esgar
Majority Leader Steve Fenberg
Senator Rhonda Fields
Senator Joann Ginal
Senator Julie Gonzales
Representative Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez
Representative Matt Gray
Senator Chris Hansen
Representative Dominique Jackson
Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet
Representative Iman Jodeh
Representative Cathy Kipp
Senator Chris Kolker
Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis
Representative Susan Lontine
Representative Julie McCluskie
Representative Karen McCormick
Representative Barbara McLachlan
Senator Dominick Moreno
Representative David Ortiz
Senator Brittany Pettersen
Representative Naquetta Ricks
Representative Dylan Roberts
Representative Emily Sirota
Senator Tammy Story
Representative Brianna Titone
Senator Faith Winter
Representative Steven Woodrow
Representative Mary Young
Senator Rachel Zenzinger