EDITORIAL: NO on 79 — an unneeded overreach on abortion

The national battle lines over abortion haven’t moved much in decades. And in Colorado, for just as long, that same stalemate has pitted a decided majority that favors some semblance of abortion rights against a motivated minority that tirelessly endeavors to change hearts and minds.

Public sentiments aren’t likely to change, and given Colorado’s political alignment, there’s practically no chance that access to abortion services will be curtailed by policymakers in the foreseeable future.

The Reproductive Health Equity Act, adopted just two years ago by the state’s overwhelmingly Democratic Legislature and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, emphatically reaffirmed abortion rights and ensures Colorado will remain one of the easiest places in the country — in the world — to get an abortion.

It is a point of pride for abortion-rights advocates and a dubious distinction for opponents that Colorado is one of only seven states where abortion is legal at all stages of pregnancy without term restrictions.

So, why are Colorado voters being asked on this fall’s statewide ballot to enshrine abortion in the state’s constitution? And why are some very deep pockets from across the country spending millions of dollars on the campaign for Amendment 79?

While opponents have raised a pittance — perhaps enough for a few mailers to voters — backers of the proposal have raised a whopping $6 million, as reported by Colorado Politics.

Some of that money comes from national abortion-rights groups; among other contributors is billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has chipped in $750,000.

That’s a whole lot of money to protect something that faces no threat and almost certainly never will.

Regardless of your views on abortion, such a deluge of money on a needless amendment to clutter Colorado’s constitution offers reason enough to oppose the measure — and The Gazette editorial board recommends a NO vote on Amendment 79.

And some of 79’s potential collateral damage makes an even stronger case for a NO vote.

While most Coloradans support abortion rights in broad concept, polls show, that support historically hasn’t come without limits. Amendment 79 would trample them.

Foremost, it would scrap a voter-enacted constitutional amendment that prevents the use of the public’s tax dollars for abortions in our state. That safeguard makes sense given profound objections to abortion among many Coloradans.

Critics of the proposal also contend it would override a state law requiring parents to be notified if their minor child has an abortion. That policy, too, has enjoyed broad support without regard to the prevailing views on abortion in general.

In a state where public schools are prohibited from dispensing so much as an aspirin to a child without explicit permission from a parent or guardian, mere notification of parents for a procedure like abortion seems only reasonable and is hardly a restraint on the procedure overall.

Would the backers of Amendment 79 mount such an expensive effort just to force taxpayers to pay for abortions, or to shut parents out of their children’s medical treatment? Is that the real aim — and all the rhetoric about defending abortion rights is just a diversion?

Or, is there some bigger, as-yet-unspecified agenda? Is the national abortion-rights movement hoping to set some political or legal precedent using Colorado, with its easy-access ballot, as a laboratory? Alas, it wouldn’t be the first time well-heeled, out-of-state interests used Colorado voters as guinea pigs.

Whatever the national movement’s true motives, it presents no credible case to Colorado voters for adding Amendment 79 to their state’s constitution. Vote NO.