Colorado Personhood Amendment Defeated By Large Margin

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Abortion
Article Date: 06 Nov 2008 - 7:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Voters in Colorado on Tuesday "soundly defeated" a proposed amendment that would have defined a fertilized egg as a person in the state constitution, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports. Amendment 48 would have defined a person as "any human being from the moment of fertilization" (Slevin, AP/Chicago Tribune, 11/5). The amendment was losing 73% to 27% with 87% of precincts reporting (CNN.com, 11/5). Opposition to the measure came from voters of all age groups and majorities of men and women. Support for the measure was predominantly shown from white evangelical and Republican voters (AP/Chicago Tribune, 11/5).

According to USA Today, Colorado Right to Life was a major proponent of the amendment, while NARAL Pro-Choice America and other opponents said that abortion could have been criminalized and research on embryonic stem cells halted under the measure (Koch, USA Today, 11/5). In addition to making abortions illegal, opponents also said Amendment 48 could have outlawed fertility treatments and some forms of contraception (AP/Chicago Tribune, 11/5).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

© 2008 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.