“FERTILIZED EGGS AS PEOPLE” INITIATIVE GROSSLY MISLEADING, BLOATED WITH UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
Ballot initiative would restrict reproductive health care, clog Colorado courts DENVER (Aug. 1) – NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado Executive Director Kathryn Wittneben released the following statement regarding a proposed ballot initiative granting fertilized eggs the same rights as people, which is the subject of a challenge before the Colorado Initiative Title Setting Review Board this afternoon: “The Initiative Title Setting Review Board has an opportunity today to recognize a constitutional amendment that would put fertilized eggs on equal footing with people in Colorado’s legal system for what it is: A grossly misleading measure that is bloated with unintended consequences. Those pushing this initiative have no qualms about using our state’s constitution and our courts as pawns in an attempt to deny Colorado women and their families access to the full range of reproductive health services. “Proponents of this initiative are clear in their intent to provide a legal premise to challenge Roe v. Wade. But we’re not talking about an exercise in legal theory: Changes in law like those proposed in this initiative could radically alter the legal landscape. What will it mean to say that in Colorado, our courts are open to every fertilized egg, or that fertilized eggs have the right to acquire, possess and protect their property? These are just two of the rights that would be extended to fertilized eggs under this proposal. “The supporters of this initiative hide behind the rhetoric of ‘rights.’ In reality, they’re proposing a sweeping change to the legal definition of a ‘person’ that would restrict Coloradans’ ability to plan when, whether and how to have children – as well as have repercussions far beyond the realm of reproductive health. “Unlike supporters of this initiative, NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado works proactively to ensure Coloradans have information and resources to make responsible, informed decisions about planning and having a family. The proponents are so single-minded in their focus to ban abortion that they’re willing to clog our courts, deny health care that could ensure every child is a wanted child, and restrict medical advances that could improve the quality of life for generations of Coloradans.” NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado took a lead role in expanding access to reproductive health care in Colorado through the enactment this year of Senate Bill 60 (Boyd, McGihon): Emergency Contraception Information for Sexual Assault Survivors and House Bill 1292 (Todd, Windels): Responsible Sex Education; and the adoption of Senate Joint Resolution 31 (Boyd, Borodkin): Emphasizing Prevention First in Reproductive Health Care Policy to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies. A hearing challenging the title of the initiative will be heard at 1:30 p.m. today at 1700 Broadway, Ste. 270. 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. ###For Immediate Release
Wednesday, August 1, 2007 Contact: Toni Panetta
NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado
Office: 303.394.1973, ext. 17
tpanetta@ProChoiceColorado.org
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