Press Release
NARAL Pro-Choice America Celebrates Defeat of Prop 115 in Colorado
For Immediate Release: Tuesday, November 3, 2020
Contact: [email protected]
Defeat of ballot initiative to ban abortion later in pregnancy is a win for Coloradans and reproductive freedom
Colorado — The No On 115 campaign has officially declared victory after voters in Colorado rejected Proposition 115, a reckless and intentionally confusing ballot initiative to ban abortion later in pregnancy.
A diverse coalition of more than 125 organizations—including NARAL Pro-Choice America— came together to oppose Prop 115 and combat the relentless disinformation campaign waged by proponents of the initiative.
The defeat of Prop 115 marks the fourth time in 12 years that Colorado voters have rejected an abortion ban at the ballot box, once again sending a clear message that attacks on their fundamental rights won’t be tolerated.
In response to the defeat of Proposition 115, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue released the following statement:
“The defeat of Prop 115 marks a huge win not just for Coloradans, but also for people across the country who would have been harmed by this cruel ban on access to abortion care. Let’s be clear: This is also a victory for truth and fact-based public policy. The anti-choice movement threw every bit of disinformation and propaganda at the voters, who saw through it all.
The efforts to advance this abortion ban during the COVID-19 pandemic—a time when we should be prioritizing the health, safety, and wellbeing of women and families—shows there’s no tragedy they won’t exploit to ban abortion and gain more power and control. Thankfully, voters in Colorado saw this initiative for what it was: an attack on reproductive freedom. NARAL Pro-Choice America was proud to stand with our partners in Colorado and our more than 58,000 members across the state in fighting to ensure that every body has the freedom to control their own lives, destinies, and futures.”
NARAL Pro-Choice America Southwest Regional Director Caroline Mello Roberson said:
“NARAL Pro-Choice America was proud to unite with our partners in Colorado to defeat this dangerous ban, and we are grateful for their leadership in this critical fight. The fact that this measure made no exceptions for health or individual circumstances tells us everything we need to know about the motivations of its proponents. Extreme anti-choice groups once again tried to force their dangerous ideology on the people of Colorado, with zero regard for the people who would be harmed by this one-size-fits-all mandate—particularly BIPOC and people with low incomes, who would be most impacted. NARAL thanks our members in Colorado and the millions of voters who stood up for reproductive freedom by rejecting Prop 115.”
Prop 115 was a cruel, one-size-fits-all mandate designed to force a person to carry a pregnancy to term—even in cases of rape, risks to the pregnant person’s health, or a lethal fetal diagnosis. Proponents of Prop 115 intentionally spread disinformation about abortion later in pregnancy in hopes of ramming through this measure, using inflammatory, deceptive language to confuse voters, stigmatize people who need care, and try to roll back reproductive freedom—an issue long supported by Coloradans.
For more information, visit voteno115.com.
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For over 50 years, NARAL Pro-Choice America and its network of state affiliates and chapters have fought to protect and advance reproductive freedom—including access to abortion, contraception, and paid family leave—for every body. NARAL is powered by its more than 2.5 million members from every state and congressional district in the country, representing the 7 in 10 Americans who believe every person should have the freedom to make the best decision for themselves about if, when, and how to raise a family.