Denver City Wire

Colorado reported a 10% increase in the number of abortions performed in the state in 2021 from a year earlier; and because Gov. Jared Polis signed the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) into law in April, the state likely will see that number continue to grow.

The Colorado Catholic Conference, though possibly feeling disenfranchised on the topic, is continuing to fight against pending legislation that would also likely contribute to the growing number of abortions in the state.

“While we appreciate Gov. Polis’ willingness to speak with the Colorado Bishops on the issue of life and abortion, he signed the most extreme abortion legislation in the country into law in Colorado, despite data showing 63 percent of Coloradans DO NOT want unrestricted abortion,” the Conference told the Denver City Wire. “RHEA is unrestricted abortion. Because of this, Governor Polis has not protected life of unborn children. However, Gov. Polis told the bishops he was committed to seeing abortion rates go down in Colorado. If re-elected, he needs to follow through with that promise in 2023 as legislation will be introduced to increase abortion in our state.”

Abort73 reported that 11,580 women had abortions in Colorado in 2021, an increase from 10,368 in 2020, citing data from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment. To put that number in perspective, the Guttmacher Institute estimated that 17.9% of pregnancies in Colorado in 2020 ended in abortion. That figure does not include miscarriages.

Polis signed RHEA into law in April, cementing the legality of abortion in Colorado. The bill, signed before the Supreme Court ruled that states could determine the question of abortion, asserts that Colorado women have a right to undergo an abortion and that embryos and fetuses do not have any rights. The law further prohibits state and local public entities from enacting any restrictions on abortions.

After the Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade was announced, Polis issued a press release calling the Supreme Court's decision "alarming" and touting Colorado as an abortion haven.

"Because of my administration and Democratic leadership in the legislature, Coloradans don’t have to worry because our rights are still protected today despite the unfortunate reality that the U.S. Supreme Court just rolled those freedoms back for millions of Americans in other states," the governor said in the release. "In Colorado, we will continue to choose freedom and we stand against government control over our bodies. State leadership matters now more than ever and in Colorado we will not retreat to an archaic era where the powerful few controlled the freedoms over our bodies and health decisions.”

The Fuller Project, which has compiled a list of state laws on abortion, found that Colorado is one of just six states in the country with unfettered access to abortion. States like California and New York, noted for voting Democratic and being politically liberal, have limits on abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

The Colorado Legislature has more abortion legislation on the agenda for 2023, with state Sen. Julie Gonzales and state Rep. Meg Froelich intent on making Colorado a “sanctuary for abortion,” the Colorado Catholic Conference said. The bills they are pushing include: providing protections for out-of-staters seeking abortion; expanding capacity so that more abortions can be performed; securing business licenses for abortion providers; and helping abortion providers from other states if they move to Colorado.

“Each of these legislative goals will increase abortion in Colorado,” the Conference told the Wire. “We will strongly oppose this prospective legislation."

The Catholic Church has long opposed abortion, arguing that life begins at conception. Its dioceses have an array of support programs in place for women who become pregnant and need emotional or financial help.

In Colorado, for example, all three dioceses operate pregnancy centers and ministries that care for women and families prenatal and postnatal, the Conference said. It cited specific offerings, including the Archdiocese’s Catholic Charities, which provides a continuum of care for more than 2,000 clients annually; the Diocese of Pueblo’s hosting of 19 Caring Pregnancy Centers that serve over 1,500 families annually; and the Diocese of Colorado Springs’ support of the Life Network's pregnancy centers and the construction of a new maternity home, Mater Filius, that will house and support pregnant and homeless moms.

The Colorado Catholic Conference describes itself as the united voice of the four Catholic bishops in the state. The group serves to uphold the dignity of human life and common good in public policy, primarily through legislative advocacy, government relations, coalition-building, grassroots mobilization, education and leadership development.

Besides drumming up opposition for the abortion bills that will be introduced next year, the Conference is also working to more effectively track abortions in the state.

“Incomplete reporting of pregnancy remains a fundamental shortcoming to the US fertility-related experiences,” the Guttmacher Institute said. “Efforts to improve abortion reporting are needed to strengthen the quality of pregnancy data to support maternal, child, and reproductive health research.”

Guttmacher estimates that abortion figures for Colorado are 40% higher than data provided by the Colorado Department of Public Health.

“We need better requirements upon the CDPH to collect and publicly record the number of abortions annually in Colorado,” the Conference said. “Both proponents and opponents of abortion have requested the data on abortion that is submitted to the CO Department of Public Health be more accurate.”

Respect Life Denver advocates for the protection of all human lives from conception until natural death, their website said.