MOST SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, HEALTH IN OVER A DECADE
For Immediate Release
Monday, May 18, 2007
Contact: Kathryn Wittneben
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
Office: 303.394.1973, ext. 12
kwittneben@ProChoiceColorado.org NOTE: 2007 Legislative Scorecard Available at: http://www.prochoicecolorado.org/assets/files/2007legscorepdf.pdf MOST SUCCESSFUL LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS, HEALTH IN OVER A DECADE Majority embrace policies that emphasize prevention first to reduce unintended pregnancy DENVER (May 18) – NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado hailed the 2007 legislative session as the most successful year for reproductive rights and health care in more than a decade. “Colorado’s women and their families made significant gains as a result of lawmakers’ commitment to protecting and promoting reproductive rights and health,” said Kathryn Wittneben, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado. “By passing two measures to prevent unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion and defeating two dangerous bills that would have severely restricted women’s access to safe and critical medical care, the majority of legislators showed they truly want to advance the health of Colorado women and girls by emphasizing prevention first in reproductive health care policy.” The General Assembly passed, and Governor Bill Ritter signed into law, two measures that emphasize prevention in reproductive health care to reduce unintended pregnancy and the need for abortion. Legislators also defeated two measures early in the session that would have criminalized abortion and could have given doctors and women the death penalty for performing or choosing abortion. Showing their strong support for women’s health, the legislature concluded the session by adopting a resolution calling for policymakers to emphasize prevention in reproductive health care policy by evaluating the barriers and challenges to preventing unintended pregnancy in Colorado. Relevant Legislation Senate Bill 60 (Boyd, McGihon): Emergency Contraception Information for Sexual Assault Survivors
The law requires emergency room facilities that treat sexual assault survivors to provide information about the availability and use of emergency contraception, which can prevent unintended pregnancy if taken within 120 hours after unprotected sex. It also requires pharmacies to post a sign notifying customers if Plan B®, the brand of emergency contraception sold in the U.S., is unavailable. SB 60 was signed into law by Governor Ritter on March 15. House Bill 1292 (Todd, Windels): Responsible Sex Education
The law requires schools that provide sex education to develop curricula that align with certain standards, including ensuring content is based on scientifically and medically accurate information, teaching that abstinence is the only proven way to prevent unintended pregnancy or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, discussing the health benefits of using contraception, and understanding how to avoid making or being the target of unwanted sexual advances or harassing behavior, among other things. HB 1292 was signed into law by Governor Ritter on May 14. Senate Joint Resolution 31 (Boyd, Borodkin): Emphasizing Prevention First in Reproductive Health Care Policy to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy
The resolution notes that four out of 10 babies born in Colorado are the result of unintended or unwanted pregnancy and that unintended pregnancies are linked to low birth weight, inadequate prenatal care, and social and economic hardships, failure to achieve educational and career goals and domestic violence. SJR 31 calls on policymakers, including the governor and the departments of Public Health and Environment, Health Care Policy and Financing, and Education to consider cost-effective public policies to reduce unintended pregnancy rates in Colorado based upon comprehensive data and analysis regarding the barriers and challenges to preventing unintended pregnancies. SJR 31 was adopted by the General Assembly and does not require the governor’s signature. Senate Bill 143 (Renfroe, Lambert): Ban Abortion in Colorado
The measure would have banned virtually all abortions in Colorado. NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado worked closely with the Protect Families, Protect Choice coalition to raise public awareness about this bill and took a lead role in defeating the measure in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it failed on a 4-3 vote. Senate Bill 71 (Schultheis, Lundberg): Death Penalty for Choosing, Performing Abortion
Under SB 143, doctors and women could have received the death penalty for performing or choosing to have an abortion. NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado led efforts to defeat this dangerous measure in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it failed on a 4-3 vote. NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado (NPCC) is the political action arm of the pro-choice movement in Colorado. NPCC has more than 30,000 supporters statewide and works to develop and sustain a constituency that uses the political process to guarantee every woman the right to make personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive health choices, including preventing unintended pregnancies, bearing healthy children and choosing legal abortion. ###
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