Legal Commentary

Colorado's Purple Status Gets a New Wrinkle

By Jeralyn

Colorado will be a hotly contested race in November. It's considered a toss-up, a red state that has trended bluer in recent years, although Bush won it in 2000 and 2004. How will this affect voter turnout, and which way?

In November, Coloradans will be asked whether they favor amending the state constitution to include a provision that defines a "person" as "any human being from the moment of fertilization."

Colorado for Equal Rights, the grassroots group seeking a measure to extend constitutional protections to the earliest individuals, fertilized eggs, succeeded in submitting more than enough valid voter signatures, the secretary of state said Thursday morning.

Not surprisingly, the group believes this amendment could result in legislation reversing Roe v. Wade:

[More...]

The amendment would not make abortion illegal, but supporters and opponents alike believe it could lay the legal framework to legislate against abortion. Opponents, including a broad coalition called "Protect Families, Protect Choices," say the amendment, which it called "vague and deceptive," could encroach on everything from abortion rights to contraception and in vitro fertilization.

Will it bring out the radical right who might otherwise not vote since they don't think McCain is conservative enough, boosting his chances since once at the voting booth, they'll vote for him over the Democrat, or will it bring out more of the pro-choice voters who are likely to vote for the Democratic nominee?

Full post as published by TalkLeft on May 30, 2008 (boomark / email).