Campaign to Defeat So-Called “Personhood” Amendment Introduced
DENVER (May 6) — On Tuesday, May 6, a broad-based coalition of nurses, doctors, religious leaders, community groups and health care advocacy organizations launched the campaign to defeat the proposed so-called “Human Life Amendment.” “If passed, this amendment would permanently alter Colorado’s constitution to allow government intrusion into Coloradans’ personal, private decisions,” said Toni Panetta, spokesperson for Protect Families Protect Choices. “This dangerous and deceptive measure would lay the legal foundation to deny Coloradans the health care they need.” “As a physician, this proposed constitutional amendment frightens me,” said Dr. Mary Fairbanks, a family physician who has practiced for more than 20 years. “‘The moment of fertilization’ is not a medical definition – yet this is what proponents want to write into our constitution. Establishing legal status from fertilization would interfere with the practice of medicine. It would jeopardize women’s health and interfere with doctors’ ability to treat our patients.” Because of its application to provisions of Colorado’s constitution relating to inalienable rights, due process and equality of justice, the proposed amendment would establish a legal foundation for the government to investigate women or their doctors in the event of a miscarriage. The backer of a similar measure in Montana has said this type of amendment could be used to investigate women to see what they may have done to cause a miscarriage. “There’s no denying that this amendment would open the door to big-government control over some of the most personal choices facing Coloradans today,” said Gayle Berry, former state representative of House District 55 in Grand Junction. “This is not a partisan issue. Both sides of the aisle can agree that if this amendment passes, Coloradans will lose the right to make decisions about their own families.” Proponents of the initiative have until May 13 to submit at least 76,000 valid signatures to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office to qualify the amendment for the November 2008 ballot. Protect Families, Protect Choices is a broad-based coalition of nurses, doctors, religious leaders, community groups and pro-choice advocacy organizations including the League of Women Voters, Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, and many others. Event Details & Speaker Biographies Follow
Event Details
What: Protect Families Protect Choices Campaign Launch Where: West Steps of the Capitol Building, Denver, CO When: Tuesday, May 6 @ 12:15 p.m. Featuring: - Jacy Montoya, Executive Director, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity & Reproductive Rights
- Dr. Mary Fairbanks, family practitioner
- State Senator Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood)
- Former State Representative Gayle Berry (R-Grand Junction)
- Dr. Andrew Ross, obstetrician/gynecologist
Featured speakers will be available for media interviews immediately following conclusion of the event in House Committee Room 0109. Additional interview opportunities may be scheduled by contacting campaign spokespeople Toni Panetta at 626-676-3482 or Leslie Durgin at 303-807-3662. Speaker Biographies Jacinta “Jacy” Montoya is executive director of Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). Montoya was born and raised in the Denver area to a Chicano father and a mother of Irish-German descent, whose families have lived in Colorado for more than 7 generations. She received a bachelor of arts degree in the growth & structure of cities program at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. Upon graduation, Montoya returned to Denver to work in the community in which she was raised. Her goal is to contribute to healthy communities, healthy Latinas, and healthy families by working to turn policy into action. Senator Betty Boyd (D, Lakewood, SD 21) understands that the majority of Coloradans trust women to make their own personal health-care decisions, in consultation with their doctors, their families, and their conscience. On issues related to reproductive health, Boyd has sponsored legislation signed into law that ensures sexual assault survivors receive information about emergency contraception in the emergency room and that will allow more low-income Coloradans to receive family planning services through Medicaid to prevent unintended pregnancy. Prior to serving as state senator, she served as state representative to Colorado House District 26. Before seeking legislative office, Boyd worked for eight years as a legislative advocate for social justice. Gayle Berry is the former state representative to Colorado House District 55 in Grand Junction. During her eight year tenure in the legislature (1996-2004), Berry was a member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee, the House Appropriations Committee, and was chair of the House Transportation Committee.Known among her colleagues as a member who could build coalitions on both sides of the aisle, Berry sponsored legislation as diverse as revising the Colorado Consumer Code, to protecting abandoned babies. She also received over 30 awards for legislative excellence during her tenure from business, economic, and human services groups. Nationally, she served on a number of legislative committees concerned with tax & fiscal policy, transportation, and women’s issues. A graduate of Fruita Monument High School and Mesa State College, Berry is a life-long resident of the western slope, and has been active in a wide range of community affairs including business, education, and family welfare. Dr. Andrew Ross is an obstetrician/gynecologist with PRACTICE NAME and a member of the Colorado Gynecological-Obstetrical Society. Dr. Mary Fairbanks is a family practice physician. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, May 6, 2008 Contact Toni Panetta, 626-676-3482,ProtectFamilies.ProtectChoice@pprm.org | 
