Bill forcing Colorado colleges to provide abortion pill heads to governor

A bill that will require all public and private colleges and universities to provide the abortion pill has passed the Colorado legislature and next heads to the desk of Governor Jared Polis for signature. He is expected to sign the bill in June.

Key Takeaways:

• Lawmakers in the Colorado Senate have passed a bill requiring all higher education institutions to offer access to the abortion pill on campus.

• Abortion supporters say the bill allows the state to be a "safe haven for reproductive rights," while opponents warn of the many risks, including the inability of campus health centers to deal with complications.

• The bill next heads to the desk of Governor Jared Polis for signature.

The Details:

House Bill 26-1335 passed the state Senate on May 13, the final day of the legislative session. The bill requires all higher education institutions — both public and private — to provide access to the abortion pill, with exceptions if they have “sincerely held” religious beliefs or if doing so would jeopardize access to federal funding.

Per the bill, those institutions with on-campus pharmacies will need to stock and provide the abortion pill. If there is no pharmacy, on-campus health providers will be required to write a prescription for the pill so the student can access it off campus.

“College students are navigating a nation that continues to undermine their right to abortion care, but Colorado is and will remain a safe haven for reproductive rights,” boasted Senator Katie Wallace. “This bill would ensure that students who rely on campus health centers are able to access the healthcare they need, when they need it, where they are.”

Dr. Tom Perille, a member of American Association of Pro-Life OBGYNS and Democrats for Life of Colorado, decried the legislation.

“Mandating abortion provision transforms student health centers beyond their traditional scope. Student health centers are designed for primary care, preventative services and limited outpatient management of common diseases,” he wrote in an April op-ed for Colorado Politics. “They are not equipped to deal with complex reproductive health services that commonly require follow-up and surgical interventions.”

He also warned that easier access to chemical abortion drugs "will exacerbate an already endemic mental health crisis amongst young adults" while increasing the risk that young women will be coerced into aborting their preborn children.

Why It Matters:

As previously outlined by Live Action News, there are many dangers associated with college students committing students in their dorm rooms — particularly because there is no clear plan for how those students will access emergency medical care if and when they need it.

One analysis has shown that 11% of women who take the abortion pill experience severe side effects, including hemorrhaging, infection, sepsis, transfusions, hospitalization, and more. Often, women experiencing these complications need to seek emergency treatment at a hospital or urgent care facility. If students who live on campus don't have their own transportation, how will they receive the care they need? How will they manage the intense bleeding and pain that comes from taking the pill while they are in a shared dorm bathroom? What happens to the remains of the preborn child they pass after the abortion is completed?

In promoting the bill, pro-abortion lawmakers failed to address any of these points.

The Bottom Line:

Pregnant college students need care, support, and to be surrounded by people that tell them, 'You can do this.' Instead, the only thing this legislation tells young women is that they need to kill their preborn children in order to be successful.