Colorado will cover abortion for Medicaid patients, state employees as Gov. Polis signs public funding law

Colorado Gov Jared Polis signed two abortion-rights bills Thursday that will permit the use of citizens funding to cover the procedure and provide more protection for doctors and patients from out-of-state interference Colorado is making sure that we are perfectly protecting the right to choose Polis announced before signing the pieces of bill into law At the federal level we re already seeing the ruling body overreach threatening basic freedom when it comes to the greater part personal and private decisions That s not the Colorado way he added One new law passed by the legislature as Senate Bill implements Amendment passed by voters in November to establish a constitutional right to abortion in Colorado It repealed an earlier provision in the state constitution that prohibited putting general funding toward abortion now the new law requires abortion care coverage for Medicaid patients and Child Physical condition Plan Plus effort recipients using state money Society employees insurance plans will also have to cover abortion care The ballot measure was approved by of voters in the November poll With the governor s signature the decree will take effect at the start of State analysts estimated the cost of society coverage of abortion at nearly million in the first full fiscal year but they uncovered it would literally reduce costs overall for the Colorado Department of Wellness Care Agenda and Financing which oversees Medicaid Since costs for abortion care would be slightly more than offset by the reduced expense to cover births according to the fiscal analysis the law is estimated to save around in the - fiscal year and about in the next fiscal year The other law passed as Senate Bill will ramp up the state s shield law to guard reproductive physical condition care providers and patients and their statistics from out-of-state investigations and other actions Dozens of people mostly women packed into the governor s office in the state Capitol to join Polis and Lt Gov Dianne Primavera Primavera pointed out that her young granddaughter had joined for the occasion I want her to have the same rights that I did growing up she revealed Another bill backed by abortion-rights advocates Senate Bill is still waiting to progress through the House It would add urgency abortion protections to state law so access is guaranteed when a individual requirements it That is presently included in the federal Exigency Medicinal Cure and Labor Act or EMTALA but various states have targeted the law s mandated coverage of urgency abortions in the wake of the U S Supreme Court s reversal of Roe v Wade We have one more bill that s protecting and expanding urgency care Karen Middleton the president of the reproductive rights group Cobalt recounted The Denver Post at the Capitol There are physical condition care providers moving to Colorado because it is safe here and we re going to make sure that demand can be met The Democratic sponsors of SB- state Sens Robert Rodriguez and Lindsey Daugherty along with state Rep Lorena Garc a and House Speaker Julie McCluskie were present Thursday to celebrate the bill signing I am so proud of the work that s gone on these past multiple years to lay the groundwork for a ballot measure that allowed the voice of the people the people who have hired us to decisively be heard in a way that makes this a constitutional right in our state McCluskie stated at the lectern Related Articles Colorado Senate rejects childhood sex abuse amendment again Advocates hope to put it on ballot anyway New Colorado law aims to find forever homes for dogs and cats used in soundness research Uber says it may pull out of Colorado if ride-hailing safety bill passes Pope Francis s kindness compassion set the mold for Cardinals to follow Letters An investor paid for a Denver family s foreclosed home Now a judge has ordered him to give it up Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains also cheered the move and the permitting of residents funding to cover abortion with citizens affairs manager Claudia Perez calling it a historic win for our patients This law will remove a long-standing politically motivated financial barrier that has prevented too various people and families from getting the care they need Perez announced Opponents of the statute blasted the bill signing arguing that the new law will cause fiscal and moral dilemmas The allocation of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to subsidize the deliberate ending of life and put women at threat is a tragedy for Colorado stated Brittany Vessely the executive director of the Colorado Catholic Conference and a board member of the Pro-Life Colorado coalition Proponents of Amendment deceived voters by claiming that it would have no financial impact declared Dr Catherine Wheeler of the American Association of Pro-Life OB GYNS Colorado This is a sad day for Coloradans Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot