Reproductive Rights

Personhood Measure Will Be on Colorado’s Next Ballot

Anti-abortion activists have collected enough signatures to include a “personhood” measure on Colorado’s next state ballot in November 2014, even though Colorado voters have twice rejected personhood initiatives.

via Shutterstock
via Shutterstock

This latest initiative will appear on the ballot as Amendment 67. It is worded misleadingly, not mentioning the word abortion. The measure would amend the definition of “person” and “child” in the Colorado Criminal Code and Wrongful Death act to include “unborn human beings.” Supporters claim that the measure will help pregnant women get justice if crimes committed against them cause them to miscarry. However, Coloradoalready has a law, the Crimes Against Pregnant Women Act, that addresses that very issue.

Women’s rights activists worry the language in Amendment 67 could lead to investigations of any woman who has an abortion or miscarries. “The 2014 ballot initiative, again, has slightly different language than years past in an effort to deceive the voters,” said Cathy Alderman of Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado. “But it has the same dangerous outcomes which would lead to more government intrusion in our personal lives, including: getting into our medical records to investigate miscarriages, dictating the kinds of birth control we use, and interfering with medical decisions made by women with their doctors in treating fertility problems.”

Media Resources: ThinkProgress 10/15/13; Fox31 Denver 10/14/13; Colorado Secretary of State News Release 10/14/13; Huffington Post 5/3/13; Planned Parenthood Votes Colorado

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