Colorado’s new parental leave policy is life-affirming, but its abortion-related policies aren’t

(Pregnancy Help News) Good news! On Friday, May 30, Colorado Governor Jared Polis (D) signed into law a bill expanding parental leave.

In a ballot initiative in 2020, voters passed the Paid Medical and Family Leave Initiative with a 57.72% yes vote. This ballot initiative, which became law, allowed for up to 12 weeks of paid time off work under certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, “caring for a new child during the first year after the birth or adoption or for foster care of a new child.” Nearly 86,000 claims to date have been filed for parental leave alone since the initiative was enacted.

Now, five years later, Colorado is expanding upon that law. Senate Bill 25-144 states that starting Jan 1, 2026, paid time off can be extended for “an additional twelve weeks to a covered individual who has a child receiving inpatient care in a neonatal intensive care unit for the duration that the child is receiving care in the neonatal intensive care unit.”

Additionally, the law expands paid leave for an additional four weeks for a woman who is experiencing “a serious health condition related to pregnancy complications or childbirth complications.”

One of the bill sponsors, Rep. Yara Zokaie (D), once had to work from the hospital when her child was in NICU.

In support of the bill she stated, “Having a child in the NICU is one of the most terrifying moments as a parent, and the last thing they should be worried about is having to choose between spending time with their child in the hospital and keeping their jobs.”

She is absolutely correct. In addition to this bill being good for parents, it’s good for the children, too. NICU babies have better developmental outcomes even at ages 4 and 5 years if parents are allowed more time to hold them and have skin to skin contact.

Colorado has made amazing strides in providing for families in a relatively short time!

The cognitive dissonance

Colorado citizens and lawmakers seem to care deeply that families are cared for, especially during hard times.

But these paid family leave bills are in stark contrast to Colorado laws concerning Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) and abortion.

In May 2023, Colorado became the first state to ban APR and placed sanctions on pregnancy help centers or anyone else who advertised or prescribed progesterone after a woman had taken mifepristone. However, in October 2023, a federal judge gave a preliminary injunction against the bill, allowing Bella Health and other similar providers to continue providing APR. The case, Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser, is ongoing.

OBGYN Explains How Abortion Pill Reversal Works

Additionally, Colorado is an abortion safe haven. A bill signed into law in 2022 and a constitutional amendment passed in 2024 have ensured that abortion is a right in Colorado. There are no gestational limits to abortion in Colorado, no waiting periods, and no parental consent needed for minors to access abortion.

A baby at 23 weeks could be born and treated in the NICU at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital or could be aborted elsewhere in the state.

How does a state come to have such wildly different laws regarding pregnancy and post-pregnancy help for families?

Women and men who want their baby can get extra paid time to bond and care for them, but women who regret taking the first abortion pill and want to keep their baby have a much harder time getting help. Women who want their baby can get excellent NICU care at a hospital, but women who don’t want their baby (or more realistically, do not wish to be pregnant) can pay for a late-term abortion.

Whether or not someone is “wanted” should have no bearing on their fundamental human rights, like the right to life.

We can and should applaud Colorado for taking steps to help families. Let’s also point out the cognitive dissonance the Colorado laws show us and strive to make Colorado a holistically pro-family, pro-life state.

PHN Editor’s Note: Heartbeat International manages the Abortion Pill Rescue® Network (APRN) and Pregnancy Help News. Heartbeat is currently the subject of two lawsuits brought by state AGs concerning sharing information about Abortion Pill Reversal.

LAN Editor’s Note: This article was originally published at Pregnancy Help News and is reprinted here with permission.