Ballot Initiatives Could Tighten Abortion Laws in Colorado, Louisiana

Plus voters in several other states weigh in on sex ed, armed defense in churches, and more.

Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation to the US Supreme Court has increased speculation that the right case could overturn Roe v. Wade. But states are not waiting for a high court ruling to pass their own restrictions on abortion.

Two states have ballot questions pertaining to abortion during this election season: Louisiana and Colorado. Though the legal landscape and public sentiment around abortion are vastly different in the two states, pro-life groups in each are hoping to provide further protection for the unborn.

Pro-life advocates in Louisiana aim to strengthen the state’s abortion regulations against further judicial scrutiny while those in Colorado hope voters will approve a move to restrict late-term abortions, a regulation the Democratic legislature has resisted.

Passage of Colorado Prop 115 would make it a misdemeanor for medical providers to perform abortions after 22 weeks’ gestation for any reason except to save the life of the mother, with doctors facing fines up to $5,000. The mother would not face criminal penalties.

It’s a long shot in Colorado, but pro-lifers in the reliably blue state have few alternatives for enacting any type of abortion restriction. In 1967, Colorado became the first state to decriminalize abortion, six years before Roe V. Wade permitted abortions nationwide.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, acknowledged that a pro-life ballot initiative is an uphill fight in Colorado, especially given the money pouring in from Planned Parenthood and other abortion-rights groups against the measure. But with Democrats controlling the state legislature, ballot initiatives are the best chance to bring change in the Centennial State.

According to Ballotpedia, …

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