Colorado House passes bill to guarantee abortion rights after long GOP filibuster

Denver, Colorado - Democrats in the Colorado House overcame a long filibuster to approve a bill along party lines that would guarantee the right to an abortion in the state.

Coloradans march outside the State Capitol demanding reproductive freedom.
Coloradans march outside the State Capitol demanding reproductive freedom.  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Known as the Reproductive Health Equity Act, the bill would guarantee a woman's right to an abortion even if the Supreme Court overturns or guts Roe v. Wade, The Hill reported.

Desperate to delay the bill's passage, Republicans launched a 24-hour filibuster last week – but Democrats were ultimately able to overcome those tactics.

"Over and over again, we heard how important it is, how important it was, and how important it shall be that these decisions be made by the pregnant person and their medical provider," Democratic state Rep. Meg Froelich, the bill's primary sponsor, said on the House floor. "Trust Coloradans. Trust women. Preserve our privacy, preserve our choices."

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The bill now heads to the Senate, where Democrats have a 35-20 majority. If it makes it through that chamber, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis has already said he will sign it into law.

That would make Colorado the latest Democratic-led state to codify the right to an abortion amid new threats to Roe v. Wade. New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington DC have already passed measures securing that right throughout a pregnancy, while 12 more states allow for abortions up to fetal viability, which occurs around 23-24 weeks.

Republican states, on the other hand, are working overtime to curb abortion access. Texas enacted a six-week ban in September, which has served as a model for legislation in other states like Idaho and Missouri.

In December, the conservative-majority Supreme Court signaled they are likely to uphold Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban, undermining the precedent set in Roe v. Wade.

Emboldened by these steps, Florida Republicans have passed their own 15-week anti-abortion measure.

Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

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