March 14, 2022 02:58 PM UTC

24 hours: what you can do to fight for progress this week (March 14)

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• by: ProgressNow Colorado

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Last Friday night and well into Saturday morning, the Colorado House of Representatives debated and passed crucial legislation to protect abortion rights in anticipation of the possible repeal of Roe v. Wade later this year by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Republicans in the Colorado House employed delay tactics for just under 24 solid hours of debate, the longest continuous debate in the Colorado legislature in at least 25 years and maybe ever. The assault on abortion rights in Colorado, like the rest of America, is not new. Since 2010, over 40 anti-abortion bills have been introduced and defeated in our state.

But with the Supreme Court poised to overturn Roe v. Wade this year, the fight is more urgent than ever. Congress has failed to pass legislation to protect abortion rights in all 50 states. Although Colorado continues to defeat attempts to ban and undermine abortion rights, those rights are being rapidly eroded across the country. That’s why Colorado must take action now to codify protection for abortion rights, contraception, and other reproductive health rights we thought were long-settled.

Now that the House has passed the Reproductive Health Equity Act, the Colorado Senate is moving to take up this important legislation without delay. Please take a moment right now to contact your Colorado Senator and urge them to SUPPORT the Reproductive Health Equity Act.

Coloradans don’t just pay lip service to protecting abortion rights. This state rejected four separate attempts to ban abortion in statewide ballot measures. The latest attempt to pass a slightly weaker abortion ban Proposition 115 in 2020 failed by another wide margin. A 2020 poll found that 76% of Coloradans agree with the statement: “when it comes to ending a pregnancy, a woman should have the power to make decisions about her own body.”

It’s time to fight for those rights once again. Tell your Colorado Senator to pass the Reproductive Health Equity Act now.

Saturday also marked the halfway point of this year’s legislative session! We’re continuing to track the progress of key legislation like RHEA at the 2022 PNC Bill Tracker page. Watch for updates as all the bills we’re tracking, good and bad, make their way through the process.

Our limited edition “SORRY ABOUT LAUREN BOEBERT” T-shirts are selling like hot cakes! Do your part as a cultural ambassador for Colorado this summer with your official “SORRY ABOUT LAUREN BOEBERT” T-shirt from PNC, available in sizes S-2XL for only $25 shipping included. Our union-made and printed unisex T-shirt sends a message that everyone outside Colorado needs to read. We didn’t all vote for Boebert, in fact most of us didn’t–and please don’t mistake her antics for Colorado values.

Sizes and quantities are limited and we’ll sell out soon! Get yours today.

And here are a few more great ways to fight for progress for the week of March 14, 2022:

AFSC & Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition: Immigration Town Hall Meeting

Town Hall with Senator Michael Bennet and Senator John Hickenlooper – Budget Priorities and Citizenship. This town hall will be led by immigrant speakers and their families. We invite you to join people from around the state live in zoom.

When: Monday, March 14 at 4:30pm

Click here to RSVP.

Colorado NORML Lobby Day

Agenda: Lobby & Support HB22-1152, limitations on the ability of an employer to take an adverse action against an employee based on the employee’s use of marijuana.

When: Tuesday, March 15 at 1:00pm
Where: Colorado State Capitol, Denver

Click here to RSVP.

League of Women Voters of Denver: Health & Employment Issues for Non-binary and Trans Individuals

Please join us on March 15 for further exploration of the issues faced by non-binary and transgender individuals in health and employment. Our panel includes Marvyn Allen, who some will remember from last fall’s program briefing, presenting issues accessing health care, and Ariel DeFazio, an employment attorney, who will talk about what laws protect individuals and what issues remain.

When: Tuesday, March 15 at 5:30pm

Click here to RSVP.

Colorado Coalition for the Homeless: March 2022 Education Series

For the thousands of women currently experiencing homelessness in Colorado, housing is just one on a long list of unmet needs mostly unique to their gender. From fleeing domestic violence and the danger of exploitation while living on the streets to specific healthcare and hygiene needs, women forced into homelessness experience greater instability than their male counterparts. On Thursday, March 17 at 5:00 PM MT join the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless for the first session of our 2022 Education Series, “Women and Homelessness: Causes, Supports, and Solutions.”

When: Thursday, March 17 at 5:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

History Colorado: Historic Lecture Series: Changing Roles of Cheyenne Women During the 18th Century Plains Warfare

Women are too often overlooked in the study of the Native peoples inhabiting the Great Plains. Stories of equestrian warriors fill historical narratives and fire popular memory. Despite these male-dominated narratives, Cheyenne women played instrumental roles in advancing their people’s fortunes in the region. Their work gained them status and respect in the camp circle. They used female kinship networks to increase their family’s power. Their songs and gossip spurred Cheyenne men to bravery in battle. Women rode into the fray, counted coup and won war honors. Cheyenne wives and mothers also acted as diplomats, bringing peace to the region. Hardly marginal figures, this lecture explores how women were essential to the establishment of Cheyenne primacy on the Great Plains.

When: Saturday, March 19 at 4:00pm; Sunday, March 20 at 2:00pm, 6:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

Save the Date: Colorado Sierra Club: (Virtual) Conservation Activist Training

Calling all conservation enthusiasts! Join us for a morning of education, community, and action. During this event, you’ll network with Sierra Club members and supporters across the state, learn about our conservation priorities and program, and most importantly- take action!

When: Sunday, April 10 at 9:00am

Click here to RSVP.

Thanks again! We’ll see you next week.

Sincerely,

Sara Loflin, Executive Director