"Colorado Activists Secure Enough Signatures for Landmark Abortion Rights Vote"

Abortion Rights Campaign in Colorado Reaches Signature Threshold for Ballot Placement

A campaign in Colorado aiming to solidify abortion rights in the state's constitution has successfully collected enough signatures to present the issue on the ballot this November, as reported by CBS News.

In order to amend Colorado's constitution, petitioners are required to 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 information from the secretary of state's office.

The group known as Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom has stated that its volunteers have amassed over 225,000 signatures, meeting the district-specific requirements as well. The deadline for submitting the signatures is April 18. A source familiar with the campaign informed CBS News that challenges to the validity of the signatures are expected from opposing groups.

This development highlights the ongoing efforts to bring the abortion debate to the forefront at the state level following the Supreme Court's termination of federal abortion protections through the Dobbs v. Jackson ruling, which overturned the historic Roe v. Wade decision.

Just recently, the Florida Supreme Court paved the way for an abortion rights constitutional amendment to feature on the fall ballot, while organizers in Arizona have also announced surpassing the signature threshold for a similar ballot initiative.

Similar initiatives are also in progress in several other states. 

Abortion remains legal in Colorado, but a proposed constitutional amendment aims to solidify this right and override a 1984 restriction on health insurance coverage for abortion care. Jess Grennan, campaign director of Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom, emphasized the importance of securing abortion rights at the state level, citing a recent decision in Arizona as a warning sign.

"Ballot measures like Proposition 89 serve as a crucial defense against government intrusion and safeguard our ability to make personal healthcare choices," Grennan stated. "Access to abortion should not be contingent on insurance status or political leadership, as a right without practical access holds little value."

The amendment requires a 55% supermajority vote to pass, as outlined by the Colorado secretary of state's office. Following the Roe v. Wade decision, states across the country have seen success with similar abortion rights initiatives, including traditionally conservative states like Kansas and Ohio.