Colorado Lawmakers Spar Over Morning After Pill as Bill Advances

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Feb 28, 2006   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Colorado Lawmakers Spar Over Morning After Pill as Bill Advances Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 28, 2006

Denver, CO (LifeNews.com) — A furious debate erupted in the Colorado state House on Monday as Democrats sought to advance legislation to make the state the next to allow sales of the morning after pill without a prescription. Republicans were upset their amendments were denied and said the bill would increase STDs.

Democrats prevented Republican lawmakers from offering any amendments to the bill — something Democrats say the GOP did to them previously. Republicans held the majority in the House in 2004 but lost it in the last elections.

Rep. Betty Boyd, a Lakewood Democrat, is the main sponsor of the measure, which she claims will help prevent unintended pregnancies.

But opponents said they disapproved because the Plan B drugs can sometimes cause an abortion and they worried about an increase in sexually transmitted diseases.

"This is going to be used quite frequently by sexually active women," said Rep. Dave Schultheis, a Republican from Colorado Springs, according to an AP report. "If we allow it to be used with impunity, without strong doctoral oversight, I think we’re going to see an increase in sexually transmitted diseases."

Rep. Kevin Lundberg said he opposed the bill because the morning after pill can sometimes work as an abortion agent by preventing the developing unborn child from implanting in the mother’s uterus to obtain the nutrition she needs to grow.

The morning after pill "can be abortive." "They try to gloss over that."

Lundburg also said it’s better to have doctors prescribe such drugs because they can monitor patients for any potential problems and health concerns.

Gov. Bill Owens last year vetoed a version of Boyd’s bill that would have requires Colorado health facilities to tell women victimized by rape that the drugs are available.

Boyd said pharmacists who object to selling the drugs would not be required to do so and she indicated her bill prevents the dangerous RU 486 abortion drug from being sold.

Boyd claims her bill would lower abortion rates in the state, even though experts have admitted the drugs do not do that.

After the debate, House Bill 1212 passed on a second reading vote. A final vote is scheduled for today.

The House Health and Human Services Committee approved the measue on a 7-5 vote last week.

Related web sites:
Colorado state legislature – https://www.leg.state.co.us
Colorado Right to Life – https://www.coloradorighttolife.org