Colorado Democrats Kill a Bill Requiring Abortion Clinic Regulation

I testified on three Bills at the Colorado Assembly on March?9,?2026 and for the third time in a decade, Legislative Democrats blocked a Bill requiring safety regulations and inspections for 2nd  and?3rd trimester abortion clinics in Colorado. My focus is on Democrats’ response to HB26-1243?(CDPHE Regulation of Abortion Clinics), which would require 2nd and ?3rd trimester abortion clinics to follow the same health and inspection standards as other ambulatory surgical centers?(ASCs) under the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment?(CDPHE). ASCs perform outpatient procedures involving sedation or surgery and must meet strict safety rules—sterile conditions, emergency equipment, and state inspections. Clinics doing colonoscopies, cataract surgery, or root canals must meet such standards; abortion clinics fitting the same definition currently do not.

During my testimony, I displayed nine pages of Colorado tattoo parlor regulations beside a blank page, highlighting how no such rules exist for abortion clinics. My testimony also included 911-call records showing ambulances dispatched seven times in?2025?to?Planned?Parenthood of?Fort?Collins. Operation?Rescue’s review of those redacted calls found that on?January?4,?2025?a woman’s uterus was perforated, and on?February?6,?2025?an?18 year old girl died after a second trimester abortion at that clinic and transport to?Poudre?Valley?Hospital?(death?by?AFE—Amniotic?Fluid?Embolism, tinyurl.com/911callsinftcollins). Such tragedies would likely be prevented by proper regulations and inspections due to CDPHE approved emergency preparedness for ASCs. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies has since opened an investigation into the death of the 18-year-old girl.

Representative?Luck?(Republican) cited Kerwin Gosnell, whose Philadelphia clinic’s appalling conditions show what happens without oversight: 1) unsanitary/unsafe environment, 2) untrained staff, 3) unsterilized equipment, and 4) at least two patient deaths. Does that sound familiar to the previous paragraph? Gosnell was convicted of murder after a press ?exposé of his clinic (tinyurl.com/gosnellclinic).

Public testimony by Meredith Briton, a self-proclaimed nurse, incorrectly stated, "It is obvious that not a single person on Representative Bottoms’ team has a health care degree due to the flagrant incorrect use of statistics and medical terminology in the Bill. This is a classic example of double-speak, which is a linguistic tool of fascist regimes to shift negative connotations away from the systems causing harm ( tinyurl.com/statecivictestimony, timestamp 10:03:03).” The Chair of the committee hearing all evidence had established rules for those giving testimony stating that "no personal attacks against Legislators" would be allowed". However, no one interupted Meredith while she was speaking to stop her violation except to say after her time was up, “Let’s not call each other names or fascists, it's not necessary.” ? The true facts are: Rep. Bottoms’ team included Dr Thomas Perille (MD, President of Democrats For Life of Colorado) and Dr Catherine Wheeler (board certified Ob/Gyn). Perille wrote a 13-page white paper with 60 references (39 from the past decade) upholding the need for CDPHE regulations and inspections of 2nd- and 3rd-trimester abortion clinics. Contact lloydbenes50@gmail.com for a copy. 

Integrity demands that if abortion is called healthcare for legal and social recognition, it must be regulated like any other medical practice. I gave each committee member a printed copy of my testimony, which concludes, “If you are a legislator who says that abortion is healthcare, then you must support this Bill. All healthcare ASCs in Colorado are required to meet CDPHE standards. Voting NO on this Bill proves you do not truly believe abortion is healthcare.”

All eight Democrats voted NO on this Bill. Representative?Bradley?(R) remarked, “Earlier today, House Democrats voted to pass HB26?1130?, requiring diaper changing tables in all public bathrooms, claiming it makes spaces sanitary and safe (tinyurl.com/diapersanitary, timestamp 1:49:55).  Now they reject a Bill applying the same to abortion clinics. The hypocrisy is staggering.”

Disregard of medical evidence and rejection of safety oversight show that ideology outweighs women’s safety for these Democrats. Whatever your view on abortion, we ought to agree that no woman should enter a facility lacking the basic medical safety standards required of cataract-surgery clinics or dentists. Thus, my call to action for you is to visit tinyurl.com/statecivicmembers to contact the eight Democratic committee members (note that Bottoms, Luck and Bradley are the only Republicans) by phone or email and share your opinion of their vote using any information from this article. Their actions have consequences—especially in this Fall’s elections.  Share your thoughts with me by email at lloydbenes50@gmail.com.