For Immediate Release:
August 31, 2021

 

For More Information:

Karen Middleton, President

Laura K Chapin
Communications Consultant, Cobalt

COBALT STATEMENT ON THE TEXAS ABORTION BAN TAKING EFFECT

 

Denver – Because the Supreme Court did not intervene, the Texas abortion ban, SB8, has gone into effect. In addition to banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, before most people know they are pregnant, the Texas law allows anyone to enforce the ban by suing abortion providers and anyone who helps a person obtain an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

Cobalt President Karen Middleton released the following statement.

“The Supreme Court and the federal appeals court letting SB 8 stand represents a threat not just to patients and providers in Texas but to the Constitutional right to abortion across the country. We stand in solidarity with patients, providers, and advocates in Texas.

Despite the best efforts of politicians who are trying to ban abortion altogether, we at Cobalt are still here, ready to help. The Cobalt Abortion Fund exists for this reason – to ensure people who need abortion care can access it.

We have stepped up before and we will now, for Coloradans and anyone from any state. In addition to helping clients pay for abortion care in Colorado, the Cobalt Abortion Fund can also assist patients with practical support such as gas cards, groceries, hotel stays, and transportation.  And we intend to do so.

Colorado is increasingly seeing patients seeking abortion care from other states. This is not okay, because they should be able to access abortion where they live. We need federal protection for everyone in every state. We need Congress to step in and address the crisis of abortion access in Texas and across the country through federal legislation like the Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA).

Passing WHPA would protect the right to access abortion care in all 50 states and put a stop to the state-by-state effort trying to control people’s bodies and lives. We are proud that Senators Bennet, Hickenlooper, and Representatives DeGette, Perlmutter, Neguse, and Crow are all co-sponsors of this critical federal legislation.

And if anyone in Colorado so much as attempts a law like SB8, we will defeat it, just as we have defeated every other attempt to ban abortion in Colorado.”

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Cobalt is a grassroots, statewide Colorado organization that advances abortion access and reproductive rights. Our organization began in 1967 when Colorado became the first state to allow safe, legal abortion. Cobalt believes nothing should stand between you and your health decisions, which is why we are dedicated to fighting for systems, structures and policies that protect reproductive rights and guarantee comprehensive, universal access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion.