Colorado residents have the opportunity to pass the first ever life initiative in the state since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, giving voters a voice in the abortion issue at the ballot box.
The Colorado Life Initiative is a grassroots effort to get the initiative giving equal protection for the unborn on the ballot this fall.
The 2023-2024 Life Initiative needs 124,238 handwritten signatures of Colorado citizens by March 31 to make it to the November ballot.
"This is a legal paper petition (not online) that with enough signatures brings the decision directly to "We The People" for a vote," the website for the initiative states.
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According to the Got a Heart website, “The initiative needs 50% plus one vote to pass into law. It does not need the legislature or the governor’s signature, only the vote of the people.”
The platform is part of a grassroots task force and is not a politically based initiative. Co-proponents Faye Barnhart and Angela Eicher were a part of this process two years ago and just missed the number of signatures needed.
The earlier attempt at an initiative was challenged by the Colorado-based abortion access advocacy group Cobalt.
“We had the momentum,” said Barnhart, “so we knew if we had more time, we could get on the ballot this time.”
The 2023-2024 initiative states:
“It is unethical to intentionally kill innocent human beings. Children are fully human, alive, and growing from day one when two gametes combine to form the unique DNA of a new living human being at conception. The child's development is highly organized and complex, including a beating heart, detectable brainwaves, feeling pain, creating blood cells with blood type, unique fingerprints and facial expressions before entering fetal development at ten weeks of life. If the preborn child is healthy enough, with normal nutrition, time, and protection, the child will continue to live through birth, typically forty weeks.”
“Two years ago, the Lord moved in my heart and told me we need fair and just law," Barnhart said. "He opposes unequal weights and measures.”
The initiative also includes this statement: “It is not necessary to intentionally cause the death of a child. Medical personnel shall not purposefully destroy lives. Living children must not be dismembered, scalded, poisoned, or caused fatal harm through inhumane treatment.”
“The initiative does not use the word abortion.” Barnhart said, but instead uses verbiage that would include the abortion process such as “dismembered, scalded, poisoned.”
“In Colorado babies have no rights before birth,” she said, noting many instances in the state’s recent history where unborn children died by vehicular homicide but no charges were made.
“This is a very, very pro-life bill,” she added. “No one can say they are pro-life and not support this.”
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Petitions are available in various locations across the state, including churches and pregnancy centers. Teams of individuals have petitions with room for up to 40 names per sheet.
Barnhart brings her passion about the pro-life movement due to her own involvement in the faithful work of pregnancy centers.
She has been a women’s advocate for women affected by assault and abortion. She has worked with two pregnancy centers in the state and served as executive director of A Caring Pregnancy Resource Center of Northeast Colorado.
“I have had a beautiful experience helping women,” Barnhart said. “I saw such a difference made in women’s lives at the pregnancy centers.”
“Every child deserves a birthday,” said Barnhart. “And every mother deserves to know the truth (about abortion).”
