August 26, 2015 01:10 PM UTC

Colorado GOP Tries To Keep Planned Parenthood Rage Alive

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• by: Colorado Pols

9NEWS’ Kyle Clark reported last night that, although she no doubt really wanted to, Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman has announced that there will be no investigation by the state of Colorado into the fetal tissue donation policies of Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains:

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman says state law requires the investigation be conducted by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, or CDPHE, which told 9NEWS Tuesday that it has no plans to investigate Planned Parenthood.

Coffman said Wednesday in a written statement that she views CDPHE’s decision as the “final response” to calls for investigation.

Abortion opponents had hoped Coffman, a pro-life Republican, would join other attorneys general who have launched independent investigations into Planned Parenthood.

Coffman’s decision not to investigate Planned Parenthood is noteworthy also because Colorado is one of only a few states where Planned Parenthood acknowledged having a fetal tissue donation program.

As Clark reiterates in last night’s story, consensual donations of fetal tissue are legal both under Colorado and federal law. It’s illegal to sell fetal tissue, but not illegal for clinics to receive a nominal fee to cover expenses for the storage and transport of the tissue. Colorado State University and other research organizations that was acquired such tissue have used to to perform lifesaving medical research on a variety of human diseases–research that has been vitally important to public health and relatively uncontroversial, until anti-abortion activists began posting heavily edited undercover videos earlier this year.

But as resident GOP-slanted “reporter” Valerie Richardson at the Colorado Statesman writes, local Republicans are not giving up on the chance to vilify Planned Parenthood a little while longer:

Thirty Colorado Republican legislators called Wednesday for a state investigation into Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains and whether it is involved in “the sale and transfer of fetal body parts.”

“A civilized society cannot allow unethical and illegal medical practices such as the harvesting of aborted human organs and babies for monetary gain. I would hope that even proponents of abortion would agree to that much,” said state Rep. Dan Nordberg, R-Colorado Springs, in a press release…

“Planned Parenthood is not above the law,” Nordberg said. “The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has a duty to enforce state statutes and I expect them to do their job, regardless of any congressional investigation.”

The letter, signed by 22 state House members and eight state senators, calls on Wolk to investigate possible violations of state law and “take necessary legal action to end such practices.”

Given the political makeup of Congress, the “inquiries” underway against Planned Parenthood today by Republican-controlled congressional committees are likely to employ the most sensationalist language possible to describe fetal tissue donation for medical research. But at least with regard to the “evidence” released so far by anti-abortion activists, there’s nothing that points to any actual violation of the law–and it’s hard to see any legitimate inquiry determining that there was. In general, the recent undercover video releases against Planned Parenthood have succeeded only in firing up the existing anti-choice base, not in fomenting any broader opposition to the organization or its work.

And barring anything unexpected, that will be the story of this request by a majority of Colorado GOP legislators to “investigate” Planned Parenthood–a few more protests, a press conference next January, and legislation that pays no more attention to the relevant facts than today’s press release. Legislation that will die in the Democratic-controlled House, of course, but not before Republicans use it to motivate their base.

But as we’ve said about the national push to demonize Planned Parenthood using these discredited videos and the same anti-abortion “torture porn” they’ve been circulating for years, this stuff motivates the Democratic base too. The proof can be seen every time an abortion ban ballot measure goes down to overwhelming defeat in Colorado, and with the notable exception of “Con Man Cory” Gardner in 2014, usually taking Republican politicians down with it.

What will this all look like by November of 2016 to general election voters? We’re pretty sure Dan Nordberg hasn’t even given that a moment’s consideration. And that should make smart Republicans very nervous.