Colorado governor signs bills attacking pregnancy centers and expanding abortion

Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed three bills Friday that expand abortion and threaten religious freedom in the state.

SB 23-190 attempts to ban so-called “deceptive” advertising by pregnancy resource centers (PRCs). Abortion advocates often smear the work of these PRCs because they help women choose life for their babies, but they don’t offer or refer for abortions. The bill also prohibits medical professionals from telling patients about abortion pill reversal, which is a safe process in which a doctor prescribes large doses of progesterone to counter the effects of the abortion pill.

SB 23-189 mandates that insurance companies provide abortion coverage, an act that pro-lifers say is a workaround of the state’s constitutional prohibition against taxpayer funding of abortion. The act also removes parental notification requirements and increases abortion referral access to minors under age 19.

Lastly, SB 23-188 protects abortionists and women seeking abortions from prosecution or lawsuits.

“Here in Colorado, we value individual freedoms, and we stand up to protect them,” Polis tweeted. “I’m proud to sign these bills today to further Colorado’s reputation as a beacon of freedom and choice.”

Pro-life groups in the state warn that though several of the bills purport to exclude religious organizations from complying, they don’t go far enough in protecting the First Amendment rights and religious freedom of the state’s citizens.

“This Colorado bill violates First Amendment rights and prohibits women from pursuing life-saving care for their child from a chemical abortion,” wrote Focus on the Family’s Jim Daly of SB 190. “Tragically, it is likely to be the first of many pro-abortion bills passed across the country.”

The Colorado Catholic Bishops also wrote a letter this week explaining their disappointment in the passage of the bills, and their commitment to continue the fight for life. 

“By enacting SB 188, SB 189, and SB 190, Governor Polis and the veto-proof majority of pro-abortion lawmakers in the General Assembly are telling Coloradans that they prioritize abortion over life-affirming reproductive healthcare decisions for women, at the expense of the mother’s health and, even more grave, at the cost of countless children’s lives,” they explained.

“We, the Catholic bishops of Colorado, and our three dioceses are committed to do our part to advocate for the sanctity of life, freedom of conscience and expression, and will continue to assist pregnant mothers and families experiencing unexpected pregnancies through the ongoing expansion of medical services, housing, counseling, and resources, both during their pregnancy and after.”

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