Denver Dems Executive Committee Votes Unanimously To Oppose Amendment 62

Submitted by owen_perkins on Wed, 08/18/2010 - 1:35pm
No on 62 logo.jpg

The Democratic Party of Denver's Executive Committee Votes Unamously to Oppose Amendment 62

 

Calling it an affront to the rights of women and families and a violation of our Constitutional guarantees, the Democratic Party of Denver’s Executive Committee adopted a resolution opposing Amendment 62 and urging a “No” vote on the dangerous amendment on the ballots in the November 2, 2010 General Election.

 

Colorado voters defeated a similar ballot measure in 2008 with 73% of the statewide vote, and the 49 members present at Tuesday’s Democratic Party of Denver’s Executive Committee voted unanimously to oppose Amendment 62, to educate voters, and to work to defeat the proposed amendment.

 

Amendment 62 attempts to define the term “person” in the Colorado Constitution, using “the beginning of the biological development” as the point at which a “person” gains legal protection, subsequently infringing on a woman’s Constitutional right to make personal, private decisions about her body and her health.

 

“I am proud to say that the Executive Committee of the Democratic Party of Denver recognizes that it is wrong to criminalize deeply personal and private health care decisions,” said Cindy Lowery, Chair of the Democratic Party of Denver.  “We stand together today with other organizations opposing this measure and fully support a woman's right to choose.”

 

Read the full story here.

 

Among the consequences of passing Amendment 62 are the following:

 

  • If passed, the amendment would ban all abortion, including for the victims of rape and incest and including cases when a woman’s life is at risk. 

 

  • By giving legal rights from the beginning of biological development, the amendment threatens to ban emergency contraception and could lead to criminalizing birth control options such as the Pill and IUDs that prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus.

 

  • Stem cell research aimed at finding cures for chronic diseases and disabilities would be banned since fertilized eggs used in these processes would have full legal rights.

 

  • The amendment would affect thousands of laws, from property rights and inheritance rights to child welfare, family support, biological research, and even the criteria for who can file a lawsuit.  Our courts would be clogged with lawsuits against anyone associated with a woman’s health.

 

As part of its commitment to educating the electorate on the dangers of Amendment 62, the Democratic Party of Denver’s Public Policy Committee will make speakers available to groups to discuss the amendment and help voters make sound, informed decisions on the ballot in November.  Resources to help defeat Amendment 62 are available on our website at or by contacting secretary@denverdemocrats.net.

 

Having defeated this intrusive attempt at imposing the will of a narrow extremist minority on all Coloradans with 73% of the vote in 2008, the Denver Democrats are taking nothing for granted and will work tirelessly to protect women, their families, and their doctors, nurses, and medical professionals.

 

Click here to visit our "No" on Amendment 62 Resource Center.

 

Click here to read the full text of the Resolution In Opposition to Amendments 62.