Representatives from a coalition of Colorado pregnancy resource centers recently gathered at the State Capitol to express disapproval of three “dreadful” abortion bills.
Pregnancy Resource Center Day at the Capitol, held on March 21, 2023, also offered organizations an opportunity to highlight the care and compassion they offer to communities across Colorado.
In March 2023, lawmakers in the Colorado General Assembly introduced a three-bill abortion legislation package, named “Safe Access to Protected Health Care.” These bills come on the heels of the state’s radical Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), passed in 2022.
The Colorado Catholic Conference, in a statement on its website, called the new bills deceptive in their reference to safe access and protected health care.
“Even though the 2022 Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) has made Colorado one of the most staunchly pro-abortion states in the nation, pro-abortion lawmakers are still pushing for more abortion access .”
“These bills will advance a radical, dangerous, anti-life agenda,” said Joseph Kohm III, Director of Public Policy at the Family Policy Alliance.
The three bills include: SB23-190 Prohibiting Deceptive Practices and Anti-Abortion Centers (SB23-190); Increasing Access to Reproductive Health Care Services (SB23-189); and Protecting Patients, Providers, and Health Care Assistants (SB23-188).
If enacted, the bills would mandate employers abortions up to birth are fully covered, ban treatments to reverse the abortion pilland severely restricts pregnancy resource centers from advertising.
The Colorado Catholic Conference said the proposed bills would have far-reaching adverse effects on pregnancy resource centers, including “removing a woman’s choice to continue her pregnancy and save her child’s life in through Abortion Pill Reversal (APR)” and “restricting and censoring the good work of Pregnancy Resource Centers by banning advertising.”
On Pregnancy Resource Center Day at the Capitol, representatives from PRCs across the state sat in the gallery during House and Senate legislative sessions, wearing pink and blue.
said Lauren Castillo, Director of Mission Advancement at Bella Health and Wellness in Englewood, Colorado DenverCatholic.org that the bills are “grossly wrong.”
“It’s really devastating to see our culture move this far…They are actually placing unconstitutional limits on the advertising abilities that our pro-life medical clinics and our pregnancy resource centers are able to reach potential patients who need their care…No that’s all, but they put a ban or an attempted ban. in reversing the abortion pill, which we know saves lives, which we know is safe and effective for mothers who choose it and safe and effective for babies who can be born.”
Brittany Vessely, executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference, said that “despite their noble mission, PRCs are often criticized by those who do not understand their purpose.”
“SB23-190 would censor and limit the great work that pregnancy resource centers do for our communities…Pregnancy Resource Centers are nonprofit organizations that provide confidential, life-saving support to women experiencing infertility. expected pregnancy at no cost to the client…”
The Colorado Catholic Conference is working with pro-life groups and crisis pregnancy centers to oppose the state’s pro-abortion law. The Pro-Life Colorado Coalition will host a Rally for Life on April 4, the one-year anniversary of RHEA, on the Colorado Capitol West Steps. At that time, the group will also announce the first Colorado March for Life in partnership with the National March for Life.
“Now that Roe and Casey have been overturned, the question of pre-viability abortion has returned to the states.” Vessely said in an article by the Catholic News Agency. “For some states that means a culture of life will flourish. For other progressive-dominated states, such as Colorado, it means introducing laws that go beyond Roe and encourage culture of death.”
