This week, a measure hoping to overturn abortion rights in Colorado failed to get enough signatures to make the 2026 ballot, according to Cobalt, a reproductive rights organization in Colorado.
Amendment 283 was the latest of several ballot measures filed hoping to curb access to abortion in the state.
“I'm a bit frustrated that, despite the fact that voters have consistently said they do not want government interfering in this, that we always see attempts like this. In fact, there were several titles filed that did not make it through the process, and then this one was out for signatures," said Karen Middleton, president of Cobalt. "We had a feeling that they wouldn't get a sufficient number of signatures, and we were grateful for that," she said.
As other states pass more restrictive abortion legislation, Middleton said Cobalt has seen an increase in out-of-state patients seeking abortion care in Colorado.
“We have raised and spent... — it was $1.9 million two years ago, $2.4 million last year. We expect to spend upwards of $3 million this year helping patients, and about half of them come from out of state, and that includes both direct support for the care, but also travel,” Middleton said.
Recently, acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche reportedly said he would try to prohibit mailing abortion medication to women nationwide and said he would work to make Dobbs permanent.
“We heard that news report, and the language of the statement was enforcing Dobbs across the country. Well, Dobbs threw the decision back to the states. In that case, Colorado has protections that the state voted on, and the state is upholding," Middle said. "I would hope that that version of the report is the correct one. Trying to ban abortion federally, I think, would be quite difficult because, frankly, it's something that government — most a majority of people — do not believe government should be interfering in this decision."
Middleton said she thinks the demand for abortion care in Colorado will continue to increase until federal laws change.
