Colorado braces to become refuge for abortion access if ‘Roe’ is weakened – By Rae Ellen Bichell (Kaiser Health News) / March 29, 2022
With the Supreme Court expected to overturn or severely weaken its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, clinics in Colorado are preparing for an increase in the number of out-of-state residents seeking abortions, and lawmakers are cementing abortion access protections in state law.
Colorado is one of the few states without any restrictions on when in pregnancy an abortion can occur and is one of the few states in the region without a mandatory waiting period of up to 72 hours after required abortion counseling.
When the Supreme Court heard arguments in December on a Mississippi law that restricts access to abortion, questions from the new conservative majority appeared sympathetic to the notion that states should be allowed to decide their abortion policies. While legislatures in many Mountain West and Great Plains states are working to dismantle abortion rights, Colorado lawmakers are reinforcing the state’s safeguards. If the justices overturn the 49-year-old decision that protects the right to an abortion, the expectation is that the demand for abortions in Colorado from people who live in those nearby states where abortion is being restricted will rise.
CONTINUE > https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/03/29/1089280422/colorado-abortion-access
