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January 16, 2014 11:24 AM UTC

Nothing Learned: House GOP Introduces 2014's Abortion Ban Bill

  • 29 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

UPDATE: Karen Middleton of NARAL Pro Choice Colorado weighs in:

“It’s bad enough that this bill puts politicians and government in between Colorado women, their families, and their physicians, something Colorado voters have repeatedly rejected at the ballot box,” said Karen Middleton, Executive Director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado. “This bill could result in jailing doctors. A Class 3 felony is a minimum 4-12 year sentence.”

“This bill is  an insult to Colorado women and Colorado physicians, and out of touch with Colorado voters. Too many of our politicians still don’t get it,” Middleton concluded.

—–

A metaphor.
A metaphor.

Making even many Republican strategists cringe, while Democrats marvel at their good luck–a press release moments ago from the Colorado House Democratic Majority announces House Bill 14-1133, a bill sponsored by a large group of Republican lawmakers that very straightforwardly makes abortion a class 3 felony:

Rep. Humphrey’s bill, HB14-1133, would ban abortions in Colorado. It was  introduced today with  the cosponsorship of Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso (R-Loveland) and Reps. Perry Buck (R-Windsor), Justin Everett (R-Littleton), Chis Holbert (R-Parker), Lois Landgraf (R-Colorado Springs), Daniel Nordberg (R-Colorado Springs), Kevin Priola (R-Henderson), Lori Saine (R-Dacono), Jerry Sonnenberg (R-Sterling), Spencer Swalm (R-Centennial) and Jared Wright (R-Fruita). 

The Humphrey bill says anyone who performs an abortion in Colorado commits a Class 3 felony, making no exception in cases of rape or incest. It would ban all forms of pregnancy termination, including Plan B, the “morning-after pill.” The bill also defines life at conception and would ostensibly establish “personhood” in Colorado’s statutes…

“Been there, done that,” Rep. Court said. “Colorado is not going to deny a woman’s right to choose or allow the government to meddle in the private relationship between a woman and her doctor. And similar measures in other states have repeatedly been ruled unconstitutional. The sponsors of these bills are setting a new standard for being out of touch.” 

Rep. Brittany Pettersen (D-Lakewood) pointed to statewide votes in 2008 and 2010 in which Coloradans decisively rejected proposed constitutional amendments to ban abortion. 

“Colorado is clearly a pro-choice state,” she said. “Rep. Humphrey and a large group of House Republicans are trying to overturn the verdict of the voters. The GOP just doesn’t get it.” 

“Colorado Republicans push extreme positions that disrespect the women of our state and trample on their freedoms,” Majority Leader Dickey Lee Hullinghorst (D-Boulder) said. “And then those same Republicans wonder why they lose elections.” [Pols emphasis]

Here's the text of the abortion ban bill as introduced. In the Senate, the bill is sponsored by Sens. Scott Renfroe, Kevin Grantham, Ted Harvey, Kent Lambert, Kevin Lundberg, Vicki Marble, and Mark Scheffel

If you were wondering if perhaps Republicans might be thinking a little more strategically about this year's elections in light of perceived Democratic weakness, and as a result maybe considering some moderation, affected or otherwise, to maximize their chances with swing voters…well, you can stop wondering.

It appears, at long last, that they just can't help themselves.

Comments

29 thoughts on “Nothing Learned: House GOP Introduces 2014’s Abortion Ban Bill

  1. Like shooting fish in a barrel, only these fish are really, REALLY dumb.

    Love it when the enem — er, opposition, rolls over on its back for us like this.

     

    1. Minor quibble- this is not like shooting fish in a barrel which sort of gives the fish a sporting chance. This is more like fishing for them in the barrel with Dupont spinners( ask a Vietnam vet about the term).I sometimes wonder whether the harder core or headed Republicans don't introduce things knowing they have no chance just to create some thing to complain about.

      1. On  your last wonder l'angel, just read the Republican FUNDRAISING letters.  If Lundberg's are any example, that's EXACTLY what they do with these bills.

    2. It seems to me more like walking up to a barrel full of fish, dropping in a gun and some rounds, and having the fish load the gun and shoot themselves.

  2. Gee. What have I learned from this bulletin? It's an election year, and the Republicans bag of tricks is empty. They got nothin', so they're recycling bills! Now, if we could just get them to do that with their newspapers and soda cans.

    1. Come again, Eliot? Conservatives with principles introduce bill that reflects their principles? There's nothing to shake your head about. Ruling Dems can kill it if they want. I would rather my reps stand firm on their principles than pander, wouldn't you?

      1. I would rather they "pander" to their constituents than make failed grandiose stands on some notion of their personal principles. Since both amendments that tried to do this exact same thing lost in every single county and legislative district, and since this bill violates the constitution which they have sworn to uphold, seems like principles trump representation for these legislators. 

        With the small numbe of bills each legislator gets they would actually push bill that represent their communities.

      2. Yup Mod- firm on their principles is where the left foot is in the metaphorical illustration that accompanies this article. Principles ought to be based on something other than personal and/or ideological biases and as near as I can tell there's nothing in this proposal that comes close to that. Killing it will be the Democratic reps stand on principle.

      3. GOP is nothing new. They are out of ideas and out of shit to throw to the wall.

        They should just quit politics and get themselves examined for even interfering with progress. We are about three or four generations behind because some old white man wants to cling on to something. Wealth should not be important – society at large should be important. Everyone should be able to take care and maintain their living standard without having to worry about the economics involved.

         

      4. The one true principle for all of these house GOP reps Moderatus is I am for whatever benefits me right now.  That is it.  Everything else is secondary to that.

      5. Oh, hey I'm with you. Cards on the table and more motivation for everyone who believes in a woman's right to make her own health care decisions in accordance with her constitutional rights to come out and vote in 2014.  They won't oust morons from safe R districts but this can make a difference in close ones and get more Dem voters to the polls for all candidates.

        1. Really. Is that why more Americans ID as pro life than pro choice today? I think you need to get up to speed with your fellow citizens instead of believing everything Rachel Maddow tells you.

          1. Did respondents have to identify first as "ril 'mercuns" in that poll, Mod?  Bringing national polls to a Colorado fight is well, kinda like suggesting there's a national mandate that every state should follow…

              1. These polls make perfect sense to me.

                I consider myself pro-life, would prefer hardly anyone choose abortion, and do not believe it should be illegal nor punishable. Safe, legal, and rare works for me.

                The politics of proposing sure to be defeated legislation seems questionable. Perhaps some of the supporters worry about primary challengers. Perhaps they believe their own spin.  IDGI.

          2. Except, Mod, I don't see where the respondents were told their doctor would be thrown in jail for practicing medicine, or that there were no exceptions, and contraceptives would be illegal too.

            Think the numbers wouldn't change radically?  If you don't, you may as well get comfy remaining in the distinct minority come election day.

          3. Notice, Moddy left out anything about the question beforehand, about the legality of abortion. Anyone wanna bet what those results were?

            Typical chickenshit right-wing propaganda. The truth never serves their purposes.

  3. Why do Republican women even exist? It is now an oxymoron. These actual women are hags in disguise.

    They are not terribly bright people by a long shot.

    I would favor an amendment to declare that Colorado is firmly pro-choice and any attempts to say otherwise is legally and forever barred from breathing our air and ask that they bring their own oxygen. We don't need the disease to be spread out. Fundamentalism is dying now and they're trying to grasp their own selfish needs.

    1. Why do gay Republicans exist, or Republicans of color, or rural white Republicans for that matter.  Some because they believe the lie that the crumb they get is what they deserve, rather than a piece of the cake.  Some because they believe they "got out" because they were so good, not so very lucky.  Some because they think identifying with the party of "fiscal responsibility" is more important than identifying with the party of wanting them to live free and happy, secure in their right to be themselves.  Some because they believe that their bodies are intended by God as vessels for the fruit planted by those they submit to, rather than intended as vessels for expression and pursuit of their own desires and dreams (including having children if they choose).

      I can understand a well-to-do white male Republican.  The others are a lot harder to fathom.

    2. Very interesting link, DP. I'm solid pro-choice, but I do think that it can be a moral gray area. I think that the fetus probably has rudimentary consciousness (somewhere between 12-20 weeks, which is when most modern abortions happen). Spiritually, I reconcile the taking of a potential life with basic physics since Einstein: energy can neither be created nor destroyed – it merely changes form. So it is with the soul's energy. It recycles, I think.

      I guess the difference between myself and a "pro-life" person is that I trust women to be able to deal with that gray area, and wrestle with ethical choices, make good decisions for their existing children (61% of women seeking abortions have other children), and for their own lives. We do know that women have a "right to life". 

      We've always thought that men in certain jobs (police, soldiers, doctors, Presidents) and with certain training should be able to make those life and death decisions. 

      All that said, this bill is crap and should go nowhere, which is what its proponents cynically plan on.  Something else scary? Myself and Modster appear to be on the same page with the ethics of abortion. (Safe, legal, rare.)  Let's enjoy it while we may, Mods. 

      dustpuppy? Why do Republican women even exist? What the hell does that mean? Back in the days of moderation, many good Republican women existed. They're fiscal conservatives, skeptical of good intentions, possibly libertarian. There are still Republican women who are pro-choice, although they're almost extinct. Olympia Snowe, Barbara Bush, a few others. 

      The other thing to keep in mind is that women use contraception and abortion at roughly the same rate regardless of their political or religious labels. 

       

      1. dustpuppy? Why do Republican women even exist? What the hell does that mean? Back in the days of moderation, many good Republican women existed. They're fiscal conservatives, skeptical of good intentions, possibly libertarian.

        Fiscally Conservative? Since when has the Republican Party ACTUALLY been "Fiscally Conservative"?

        Give a Republican a balanced budget and they'll bust it open by cutting taxes to the wealthy.

        The primary political goal of the Republican Party is to lower taxes on the wealthy, which is fiscally expensive. Look at the Federal deficit pattern over the terms of the different presidents. Every Republican President has increased the deficit; every Democratic President has decreased the deficit. For example, Clinton drove the  deficit way down, which gave Bush the opportunity to drop taxes for the wealthy.

        Deficits are normal and useful, even essential during a recession in order to boost demand; Deficits are bad in a boom-time because they push inflation and or bubbles. That's just econ 101.

         

    1. No, No, NO! 

      Bring it to the floor for debate, and a vote. I want to see them twist in the wind both during the session, and again at election time.

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