Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO) signed three Democratic bills into law on Friday that strengthen access to abortions and gender transition surgery.
Polis said he was proud to sign the bills at the state capitol in Denver. The bills solidify the state’s reputation as a refuge for those in conservative states who need the medical procedures.
“Here in Colorado, we value individual freedoms, and we stand up to protect them,” Polis tweeted. “I’m proud to sign these bills today to further Colorado’s reputation as a beacon of freedom and choice.”
The measures come nearly a year after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the topic of abortion to individual states last summer.
The first bill shields people who receive, provide, or assist in legal abortions or gender-transition surgery in Colorado from being prosecuted or sued in other states. Gender transition surgery is legal in Colorado.
The second bill requires large employer plans to cover the cost of abortions without policy deductibles, copays, or co-insurance starting Jan. 1, 2025. Government employers are exempted from the new law, though, because the state is prohibited from spending taxpayer dollars on abortions.
The final bill determined that it would be considered deceptive advertising for a pregnancy center to claim to offer abortion services or an emergency contraceptive falsely.
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“We pass this legislation today in order to say, ‘We see you in Colorado’ and ‘We’ve got your back,’” state Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat, told the Colorado Sun. “Let the passage of these three bills stand as a testament to folks in this state and across the country that Colorado is a beacon for care.”
The move comes as many conservative states attempt to limit or outright ban abortion. Florida most recently made abortion illegal after six weeks, which is when most doctors can detect a fetal heartbeat. It was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Thursday night and makes the state’s abortion restrictions some of the most severe in the country.
