DENVER — Some of Colorado's elected leaders spoke out Friday morning on the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to overturn the landmark abortion decision Roe v. Wade.
The 6-3 ruling, which gives the states power over the issue rather than the federal government, was a major decision after months of protests and years of legal fighting over abortion rights in the country.
The court’s ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was a determination of the constitutionality of a 2018 Mississippi law banning most abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.
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The decision is likely to have major ramifications across the U.S., where states are deeply divided on abortion, with a patchwork of laws and restrictions in many states.
In Colorado, abortion remains legal. The state's Reproductive Health Equity Act guarantees the right to abortion and reproductive health care.
Colorado's U.S. senators and members of the congressional delegation released statements on the ruling Friday. Their full statements are below.
Gov. Jared Polis
“Coloradans do not want politicians making their healthcare decisions. 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 just rolled those freedoms back for millions of Americans in other states. 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."
Sen. Michael Bennet
“In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that a woman’s choice about whether to have an abortion is a fundamental, Constitutional right. For half a century, courts have repeatedly upheld this decision as a bedrock of American law.
“Today, a radical majority of the Supreme Court demolished fifty years of legal precedent. This activist ruling strips women of their individual liberty to make intensely personal decisions about their bodies and futures, and eviscerates their Constitutionally protected rights to freedom and equality.
“This ruling is not the last word. In the months ahead, the American people have the opportunity to elect pro-choice majorities in the Congress and in state legislatures across the country to codify in law the fundamental right to choose.”
U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper
“For 50 years, the Constitution has protected a woman’s right to their own health care decisions. Today’s ruling shatters that freedom. It threatens not just a woman’s physical health and control over their own futures, but it also threatens to put them and their doctors in jail.
“The vast majority of Americans support the right to an abortion. Republicans should join Democrats today and vote to keep politics out of reproductive health care decisions. Let’s follow Colorado’s lead and protect the right to choose.”
U.S. Rep. Ken Buck
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette
“We cannot overstate the devastating impact that this horrific decision will have on millions of people across this country. By disregarding fifty years of legal precedent, the U.S. Supreme Court has effectively stripped away from 36 million women the freedom to control their own bodies and have handed that power, instead, to the politicians in their states.
“Every situation and pregnancy is different, and everyone deserves the power and freedom to make their own decisions about their health, lives and future. Yet now, as a result of today’s decision, women in nearly half of the states across the U.S. face a terrifying legal landscape when trying to access the abortion care they need – one that will undoubtedly put the health and economic futures of millions of women at risk.
“For Republicans determined to control other people’s reproductive decisions, this decision is just the beginning of their quest to make it impossible for women to get an abortion in this country. For years, these extremists have been working to enact state laws designed to chip away at Americans’ right to access the abortion care they need. And now, as federal protections fall, these laws, which are already in place in states like Texas and Oklahoma, will soon become law in many other places as well as even more state legislatures move to ban and restrict access to abortion care within their borders.
“While such bans on abortion care affect everyone in a particular state, they disproportionately impact those who already face significant barriers to accessing the care they need – including young people, people of color, those living in rural areas and those working to make ends meet.
“As the leaders of the House Pro-Choice Caucus, we will never give up our fight to ensure that everyone in this country – regardless of where they live – has a right to make their own decisions about pregnancy and parenthood. We trust people – not politicians – to make their own decisions about their bodies, health, and lives.
“And we are more determined and committed than ever to continue doing everything we can – at every turn, and at every opportunity possible – to not only restore the protection that had been provided to us for more than 50 years under Roe, but to expand abortion access to ensure that everyone – no matter their income or zip code – has access to the care they need.”
U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse
“Today’s decision by the Supreme Court to overrule Roe v. Wade is deeply disappointing. The ruling, which departs from nearly fifty years of legal precedent, will deprive countless women across the country of the freedom to make deeply personal reproductive health decisions.”
“Our work does not end today, and we cannot lose faith. House Democrats know the importance of protecting our freedoms and constitutional rights. That is why we passed legislation earlier this year to codify Roe v. Wade. While these efforts fell short in the Senate, we must continue to make every effort to secure passage of this critical legislation.”
U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn
U.S. Rep Jason Crow
U.S. Rep Ed Perlmutter
“Today’s ruling formalizes a decades-long attempt to take away a women’s constitutional right to choose and the freedom to do what is best for her and her family. Women’s healthcare decisions are between her and her doctor. I applaud the actions taken by Colorado and other states to prioritize women’s healthcare and uphold women’s reproductive freedoms. However, by dismantling these federal protections, a patchwork of disparate state laws will emerge and women across the country will be left with uneven, unjust and dangerous options for their reproductive healthcare needs. For too many women across this country, today is a dark day and marks the loss of a basic right and a freedom to make their own healthcare decisions and control their future.”
Attorney General Phil Weiser
“Today, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 50 years of settled and reaffirmed legal precedent affirming the constitutional right to an abortion. The Court’s decision is not only legally incorrect, but also remarkably out of step with the views of the two-thirds of Americans who believe government should not interfere in a woman’s very personal decision to end a pregnancy.
“The Court’s decision to overrule Roe v. Wade will cause significant suffering and harm. In many states, women who are raped will be forced to continue the pregnancy, causing untold mental anguish and distress. Doctors providing abortions will be arrested and jailed. Women who cannot access abortion care will resort to desperate and dangerous measures to end a pregnancy, even in ways that threaten their health. Women who experience life-threatening conditions during pregnancy will die. And women of color will be disproportionately impacted. These scenarios are now realities as laws in other states restricting abortion go into effect.
“Overruling Roe v. Wade — a decision repeatedly reaffirmed over the last 50 years — was a momentous mistake on multiple levels. And the Court’s lack of sensitivity in Dobbs to a range of issues now open to litigation portends more legal battles to come. I will stand firm for protecting personal freedoms when they are attacked—whether those challenges relate to access to the morning after pill to access to birth control to marriage equality. By opening the door to chipping away these established precedents, the Supreme Court has undermined public confidence in the rule of law, dealing itself and its reputation a self-inflicted wound. The Court and the nation will come to regret this decision to undermine women’s equality and personal freedoms. That’s why I believe that, after much harm and pain to many, our country should and will find a way to permanently protect reproductive rights.
“As attorney general, I am committed to doing all I can to make certain all women have access to safe abortion care. Abortion remains legal in Colorado even after Dobbs. The Colorado Reproductive Health Equity Act guarantees the right to abortion and reproductive healthcare, including the right to medication abortion. The Dobbs decision does not curtail these rights in Colorado and these protections remain available for all seeking reproductive healthcare in our state regardless of their residency. I will continue to defend these rights and work to protect Colorado’s medical professionals who provide reproductive care to all who seek it in our state.
“As part of my duties to defend all state laws, our office will defend the Reproductive Health Equity Act in court if necessary and will ensure it is followed.”
Secretary of State Jena Griswold
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock
“The decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade is devastating and a dangerous reversal of precedent. Never before has the Court taken away a right. Never before has the Court opened the door so widely to an assault on other foundational rights. This decision is nothing more than an incendiary attack on women’s rights and women’s health, and the consequences to the rule of law will be profound. Thankfully, Colorado has protected this right, and our city and state will continue to stand up for women and their right to autonomy over their own bodies and healthcare decisions. But across the country, millions of women instantly have been relegated to second class citizens and stripped of essential freedoms. The only thing the Supreme Court achieved today is to undermine our Constitution and the people’s trust in the institution of the Court. Congress must act now to codify Roe into law to counter this highly politicized, supremely misguided action.”
Denver District Attorney Beth McCann
“I am extremely disappointed with today’s ruling by the majority of the Supreme Court justices but grateful that Colorado’s legislators and governor ensured that abortion will remain a safe and legal procedure in the Centennial State.
Today’s decision opens the door to the criminal legal system’s potential involvement in deeply personal and private medical decisions made by women and their healthcare providers. As a prosecutor it is chilling that in some states women and health care providers may be charged with a crime for seeking an abortion. The reality is that wealthier women will now travel to states like Colorado for the procedure while women of lesser means will not have that option.
This decision is a slap in the face to women who fought so bravely for the right to make their own decisions about their reproductive health. Today is a very dark day for those of us who have long fought for this right.”
Colorado State Rep. Leslie Herod
“Though we are shattered today, we will not stop fighting. Though we are discouraged, we won't forget those who need us most. To everyone who is scared today, know that Colorado will not let you down. To everyone for whom today will have a disproportionate impact, we see you and we will not forget you.
"Out of this devastating defeat, we will rebuild. As Planned Parenthood reminds us, we knew this was coming and we are ready to fight. Remember this date, June 24, 2022. This was the day the right waged outright war on our bodies and the day they lit an unstoppable fire in us.
"Let me be clear, I am personally ready to fight like our democracy depends on it. I'm not naive. I know that this is only the beginning and that all of our rights are on the line today. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I am not ignorant of the risks all of us face today. I am enraged for what has happened and for what I know they still seek to accomplish.
"I will be relentless in my work to protect you. Women who are under-resourced, women of color, women in rural areas: I see you and I will fight harder than ever to protect you.
"I stand with Governor Polis in my commitment to the women of this state and I will double down on my commitment to ensure the vulnerable have a safe home in Colorado.
"If you feel broken, please know that you are not. We can fight as our rights depend on it to elect pro-choice candidates in the fall, we can re-elect Governor Polis, and maintain our Democratic chambers at the state level. But we can also organize with the help of our local agencies to protect and safely escort women who need our help.
"We can recall the Underground Railroad and remember that women have always been mighty, nimble, and relentless in their promise to freedom.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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