Colorado group says it has enough signatures for abortion rights ballot measure this fall

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

April 12, 2024 / 6:00 AM EDT


A Colorado campaign that's trying to enshrine abortion rights into the state's constitution has gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the ballot this November, CBS News has learned.

To amend Colorado's constitution, petitioners must gather 124,238 signatures from the state's voters, including 2% of the total registered voters in each of Colorado's 35 Senate districts, according to the secretary of state's office.

Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom said its volunteers gathered more than 225,000 signatures and met the district requirements, as well. The deadline to turn the signatures in is April 18. A person familiar with the operation told CBS News that the group expects challenges from opposition groups on the validity of the signatures.

The announcement underscores the ongoing push to put abortion on the ballot at the state level after the Supreme Court ended federal abortion protections with the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which struck down the landmark decision Roe v. Wade.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/colorado-abortion-access-ballot-measure-signatures/

[hlthe2b]

1. Yes... Every state should make sure abortion rights are enshrined in their constitution...

even, if, like Colorado, laws have been passed to protect rights.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Unfortunately there are states that have more convoluted procedures to do so

than just collecting petitions to put it on the ballot.

Here in PA, the state legislature has to pass a resolution for the change in 2 consecutive legislative sessions and then it can go on the ballot as a referendum. And when you have GOP-controlled legislatures, what THEY want to do is to put the ban in the state Constitution. That is what they had planned to do here in PA until Democrats won 12 state House seats in 2022 which was enough to take control... and they torpedoed that anti-abortion effort. The state Senate is still GOP-majority.

[AnrothElf]

4. Yup... in neighboring Wyoming...

You can't get an amendment on the ballot via referendum, at all. Only the legislature can do that.

[littlemissmartypants]

3. ❤️

[beveeheart]

5. My signature is on that petition.