HB26-1335 in Colorado calls for abortion medication access on college campuses. Colleges with a prescription drug outlet have to keep abortion medication stocked to dispense to students, and those that don’t must submit a prescription for abortion medication to an off-campus pharmacy or provide the medication through the student health center if licensed to do so.
Republicans tried to warn of the dangers of abortion medication, but the measure passed the Colorado House after a vote of 41-22. Only one Democrat, Bob Marshall, joined Republicans in voting no.
Religious institutions are exempt under the bill, which now goes to the state senate for approval.
Students for Life tried to warn about the bill before it reached the General Assembly, saying Colorado would be the fifth state to enact this mandate if it passed. States that already require abortion medication access on campus are California, Massachusetts, New York, and Illinois.
Nathan Fisher, associate director of the Colorado Catholic Conference, said there are concerns.
"We think that this bill ultimately hurts young women," Fisher tells AFN. "A lot of them are in distressing circumstances, and by encouraging an option like this, just to abortion, will likely cause long-lasting harm to them physically and psychologically and lead to, sadly, more destruction of human life in Colorado."
Nicole Hunt, J.D., writer and spokesperson for Focus on the Family, said Colorado is attempting to establish itself as one of the most progressive states in the nation on abortion policy.
At Focus on the Family, we see this as an intentional effort of the abortion industry to try to normalize and institutionalize abortion in taxpayer-supported education systems," Hunt told AFN. "Unfortunately, it is likely going to pass the Senate, and the governor will sign it into law."
Even so, Hunt encouraged pro-lifers to stay engaged and help save babies and women from abortion.
"We are in this for the right reasons, and that our motives are pure, our hearts are right, and it's true," said Hunt. "At the end of the day, if we continue to live out a pro-life ethic, if we raise families, we raise our children to want to love and nurture and raise families as well, in the end, we are eventually going to outbreed those who are advocating for a culture of death, and that is the truth."
State Rep. Lorena Garcia is one of the prime sponsors of HB26-1335. She reminded members that abortion is a constitutional right in Colorado and that students asked for such a bill to give them access.
Fisher heard that as well, but he said it's not true that students lack access.
"There are a lot of private organizations that will help them travel for an abortion, reimbursements for an abortion," states Fisher. "This bill was truthfully about forcing our higher ed institutions to be abortion providers."
Fisher encouraged believers to stay in the fight, adding that the battle has already been won.
"I'm hoping that the Lord will just soften people's hearts, especially our lawmakers," Fisher says.
