Colorado secured its status as an abortion sanctuary state on Friday, when the governor signed a trio of bills bolstering abortion rights.
Gov. Jared Polis gave final approval to the bill package, designed to protect and increase access to abortion in the state, just over one year after Colorado enshrined abortion as a fundamental right. The bills became law immediately with Polis' signature.
Senate Bill 188 protects patients and providers of abortion and gender-affirming care in Colorado from penalties from other states. Senate Bill 189 expands health insurance coverage for abortion, sterilization and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Senate Bill 190 prohibits deceptive advertising and the use of abortion "reversal" pills in crisis pregnancy centers.
"Today is really about freedom. Standing up to protect freedoms that are under attack, sadly, in many other states," Polis said. "That's not the Colorado way. We believe in the ability of individuals to make their own decisions. That's a really important value that we share in our state. These bills further that value."
Polis was flanked by 17 state lawmakers during the signing, all of whom were Democratic women and most of whom sponsored the bills. The governor's office was also filled with dozens of abortion advocates and providers, including representatives from Planned Parenthood, Cobalt and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights.
The bill package quickly advanced through the state legislature, taking only 36 days since introduction to pass both chambers and be signed into law.
Despite unanimous opposition and filibuster attempts from Republicans, the legislature's Democratic supermajority easily carried the bills through. Only two Democrats voted against any of the bills: Sen. Kevin Priola, who switched parties last year, and Rep. Bob Marshall, the first Democrat to ever represent his Highlands Ranch district.
In a statement, House Minority Leader Mike Lynch criticized the bills and the Democratic Party as "radical and extreme."
“The three bills that Gov. Polis signed today do not protect choice, but instead denies it to a new generation of Colorado women,” said Lynch, R-Wellington. “They deny a new mother the choice to consider alternative options other than to end her pregnancy. ... Those who call for abortion-on-demand have ensured with the signing of these three ideological bills that Colorado will continue to be an abortion destination.”
The bill's proponents say it's clear the abortion debate has been settled among Colorado voters.
A 2022 survey from the Rocky Mountaineer found that 67% of Colorado voters believe that women in Colorado should have access to abortion care.
Voters overwhelmingly re-elected Polis and increased the Democrats' control of the state legislature to near historic levels last year, with some observers attributing their victory to their support for abortion. One exit poll from the election found that 68% of unaffiliated voters surveyed said they couldn’t vote for a candidate who wanted to ban abortion, even if they agreed with them on other policy issues.
"Here in Colorado, the voters were loud and clear," said Sen. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, sponsor of SB 189, during the bill signing. "We support access to the full range of reproductive care. We all value this. It's health care."
The three bills are the first legislative action Colorado lawmakers have taken on abortion since the Supreme Court overturned national abortion protections in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling in June.
Since then, 14 states have passed laws banning or limiting abortion, with many more currently trying to enact blocked bans. Some states, including Texas, Idaho and Oklahoma, have passed "bounty hunter" laws, incentivizing citizens to sue anyone who has helped a person get an abortion.
This has quickly made Colorado a national hub for abortion access.
In the month following the Dobbs decision, the Colorado-based Cobalt Abortion Fund reported that 94% of its clients seeking practical abortion support came from out of state, including 66% from Texas alone. In January, 750 people traveled to Colorado Planned Parenthoods from out of state for abortion care — compared to only 1,500 people during the entirety of 2021, according to Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
"In Colorado, we've got your back," said Sen. Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, sponsor of SB 188. "Let the passage of these three bills, as they are being signed into law today, stand as a testament to folks in this state and across the country that Colorado is a beacon of care. That we will support you."
SB 188 prohibits Colorado from recognizing criminal prosecutions or civil lawsuits regarding legally protected abortion care and enshrines into law an executive order directing state agencies to withhold relevant records from such states. The new law also applies to gender-affirming care for transgender individuals.
SB 189 requires health insurance carriers that serve employers with more than 100 employees to cover abortion, sterilization and treatment of HIV and other STDs without deductibles, copays or coinsurance. For the small group and individual market, health insurance coverage depends on how it would affect premiums.
Lastly, SB 190 prohibits crisis pregnancy centers from advertising abortions, emergency contraceptives or referrals they don’t actually provide, classifying it as deceptive advertising. It also prohibits the controversial practice of using "abortion reversal pills" to try to stop a medication-based abortion.
