PROTECTING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

I am a staunch advocate for reproductive freedom, believing firmly that every individual has the right to make informed decisions about their own reproductive health.

As a woman, a mother, and an attorney, my dedication to safeguarding and expanding reproductive freedom is steadfast. This is more than a policy position; it is a deeply personal promise to stand for the rights of every individual to make decisions about their bodies without governmental interference.

In these challenging times, Colorado has been at the forefront of protecting these rights. We have not only defended but also expanded reproductive health and freedom, often in the face of daunting challenges:

Securing the Right to Choose in Colorado

The threats to reproductive freedom have intensified, but so has our resolve. In 2022, anticipating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Colorado Democrats passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act (HB22-1279). This pivotal bill established the right to abortion as a fundamental right in Colorado, affirming every pregnant person’s right to choose, regardless of the changes in the national legal landscape.

Standing Strong When Rights Are Under Attack

As we know all too well, abortion rights are under siege in many states across the country. These legal battles can and do strip individuals of their essential rights to make personal healthcare decisions. While we firmly believe that everyone should have these rights secured in their home state, it's evident that this is not always the case. 

Colorado will not stand idle in the face of this injustice. Here, we're taking action to protect and expand access to reproductive healthcare — not just for our citizens, but also for those in states where their rights are being stripped away:

  • Criminal Prosecutions Protection for Health Care: In response to external legal threats, we've strengthened our protections with the Shield Law for Reproductive Health Care (SB23-188). This law ensures that the state of Colorado will not recognize criminal prosecutions for those who receive, provide, or assist in legally-protected healthcare such as abortion or gender-affirming care.

  • Combatting Health Care Inequality: Recognizing that legality does not equate to accessibility, we passed SB23-189 to level the playing field. This legislation works to close the gaps in accessing reproductive health care, which often disproportionately affect lower-income communities and people of color. It limits surprise medical billing and removes patient cost sharing for reproductive healthcare services, including but not limited to sterilization, sexually transmitted infections, and abortion care. 

  • Protecting Patient Privacy: Our commitment to safeguarding reproductive healthcare goes beyond access to include the privacy of patients. In shared insurance coverage situations, patient confidentiality can be compromised. To counteract this, SB23-189 also establishes a state fund that providers can bill directly for their patients' reproductive healthcare services. 

  • Prohibiting Deceptive Practices at Anti-Abortion Centers: To ensure that Coloradans seeking reproductive healthcare receive accurate, honest information, we introduced SB23-190. This bill prohibits the use of deceptive advertising by anti-abortion centers, protecting patients from misinformation and false practices such as "medication abortion reversal". 

  • Guaranteeing 12-Month Contraception Coverage: Despite the national pushback against reproductive rights, we continue to strive for progress. We passed SB23-284, which guarantees a year's supply of contraception under health insurance plans, breaking down barriers to birth control access. 

Defeating Restrictive Bills

Colorado voters have made it very clear that they support reproductive freedom, repeatedly demonstrating this stance at the ballot box. Despite this clear mandate, Republican lawmakers persist in their attempts to undermine these rights by introducing legislation designed to either outright ban or severely limit access to abortion services in our state.

I fully anticipate these attempts to continue, and therefore, it is absolutely crucial that we remain vigilant, united, and resolute in our opposition. We must ensure that every legislative session doesn't become a battlefield where the rights of our citizens are at stake. You can trust that I will continue pushing back against any legislation that threatens our hard-won reproductive rights.

Over the past two years, we have successfully defeated several dangerous proposals:

❌  Attempts to Ban or Criminalize Abortion: Multiple bills, including HB22-1079, HB22-1047, and HB23-1119, sought to place unconstitutional bans on abortion in Colorado, with some even proposing to criminalize miscarriages and imprison providers. These draconian measures were defeated, maintaining the critical reproductive freedoms of Coloradans.

❌  Invasive Surveillance & Reporting Mandates: Bills such as the State Abortion Registry (HB21-1183) and the Abortion Surveillance Registry (HB22-1075) attempted to invade the privacy of patients and providers. These measures aimed to mandate reporting and establish registries that would have opened up patients and providers to potential threats and harassment.

❌  Government Interference in Medical Decisions: Bills like HB23-1097 and HB23-1150 sought to exert governmental control over private medical decisions, from forcing providers to administer legislative-prescribed medical treatments to mandating physicians to spread misinformation about so-called abortion pill reversal methods.

I will never back down from the fight for reproductive freedom in Colorado. Every person in our state, regardless of their background, deserves the full measure of control over their personal health decisions. This is a fundamental right, a cornerstone of personal dignity, and I assure you, our work to protect it is far from over.

With your support, we can - and we must - ensure that the fundamental autonomy of Coloradans to make deeply personal decisions about their own bodies and futures remains unchallenged. Because in our Colorado, the rights to autonomy, dignity, and freedom in making decisions about our own lives are not just defended—they are celebrated.