An attempt to overturn the abortion rights protections in Colorado this November will not proceed to the ballot.
The Colorado Life Initiative disclosed on Thursday that they had failed to gather the 124,238 signatures necessary to advance the “Protections of Children” Initiative to the ballot.
In their announcement, they mentioned that 1,145 volunteers had collected numerous signatures in support of placing the “Protections of Children” initiative on the ballot.
The initiative, led by advocates from Morgan County, including Faye Barnhart of Brush and Angela Eicher of Fort Morgan, aimed to prohibit the intentional harm or death of children from conception to adulthood, resulting in the closure of abortion facilities and the cessation of abortion pill usage.
The proposed initiative sought to define a “living child” in Colorado statutes as any human being from the moment of biological inception at conception until reaching adulthood, providing legal protection against intentional harm leading to death or disability.
Enforcement measures would have included shutting down and withdrawing permits from any facility or clinic found in violation of the law.
Currently, Colorado statutes forbid state and local entities from interfering with an individual’s right to contraception, pregnancy continuation, or abortion.
The Colorado Life Initiative emphasized that the initiative was crafted to align with moral principles, meet the state’s single-subject requirement, and maintain focus on child protection, especially in the aftermath of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Barnhart expressed conviction in the initiative’s timing post-Roe v. Wade and likened the proponents’ determination to the biblical account of the children of Israel entering the promised land despite facing challenges.
The Colorado Life Initiative highlighted the frequency of abortions in Colorado, averaging over 2,000 procedures monthly, both in clinics and through chemical means.
Attributing the signature shortfall to “PLINOs” (Pro-life in Name Only) and the necessity for increased publicity and recruitment of signature collectors, the proponents acknowledged the dedicated efforts of volunteers from various backgrounds.
Despite the setback, the organization plans to introduce future ballot measures aligned with their cause.
While the “Protections of Children” initiative was the sole “pro-life” measure cleared for signature collection, another initiative, Initiative 89, aims to constitutionally recognize the right to abortion in Colorado. This measure is currently undergoing signature line review after petitions were submitted on April 18, with a 55% approval requirement from votes cast statewide for passage as a constitutional amendment.