DENVER — Colorado voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that enshrines abortion access for Coloradans, the Associated Press (AP) projects.
The AP projected Amendment 79 would pass as the percentage of ballots counted showed 61.48% in favor of the measure compared to 38.52% against it, with 2,208,481 ballots counted so far.
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Amendment 79 asked Colorado voters to make abortion a constitutional right in the state and repeal Colorado's 40-year ban on using state and local funds for abortion.
In a statement, Karen Middleton, co-chair of Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, praised the results, calling the decision "a decisive statement about our shared values as Coloradans on abortion rights and access."
“The people of Colorado have spoken, and they have said they want the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies without government interference,” said Middleton. “By enshrining this freedom into our state’s constitution, we have ensured that our rights cannot be taken away with the stroke of a pen. Tonight’s win on Amendment 79 represents a decisive statement about our shared values as Coloradans on abortion rights and access. Our state has long been a leader on abortion access, and we continue to be with the success of Amendment 79. And we will build on that success with an implementation process that is already moving forward with draft legislation and a bill title.”
Supporters of the amendment told Scripps News Denver it's important to protect abortion access and take the power to remove access away from lawmakers.
"I know what the stroke of a pen can do to abortion rights, and that's very important to us," said Christina Taylor, a Littleton woman who shared her story to support Amendment 79. "That's very important to me to be able to put it in the constitution so that future legislators can't change it."
Several anti-abortion groups, including Colorado Right to Life, led the movement against Amendment 79.
“We believe that life start starts at fertilization, meaning that a human is a human in the womb and they deserve the protection that any other person would receive,” said Scott Shamblin, the executive director of Colorado Right to Life.
