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NARAL enters fi ght to reverse pro-life work in state BY NISSA LAPOINT Hours of scattered and clum- sy debate among lawmakers and citizens over women's rights and the unborn stymied pro-life advocates who fought an ag- gressive abortion "rights" bill at the state Capitol last week. The Reproductive Health Freedom Act, or Senate Bill 175, was pushed through a legis- lative committee April 10 and may be considered by the state Senate this week. Local abortion advocates gained the support of the Na- tional Abortion Rights Action League (NARAL) to pass the bill, which threatens to become the fi rst in the country to create un- fettered access to abortion and eradicate life-affi rming laws in the state. NARAL stated in releases last week that "It's time to make sure Colorado stops attacks on reproductive health care once and for all" and ensure pro-life protections "don't see the light of day." The Colorado Catholic Con- ference, which represents the Church's state level public poli- cy, stated the bill poses an "un- deniable and irreparable dan- ger" to pro-life laws. "This legislation has the po- tential to eliminate a broad range of policies, including, but not limited to, parental notifi - cation, conscience protection for health providers, and the list could go on," conference di- rector Jenny Kraska said before the Health and Human Services Committee. It could void state laws that restrict abortion and protect youths and school policies on abstinence education, she said. The bill proposes to deny a government or policy the abil- ity to interfere with an individ- ual's reproductive health care decisions, defi ned as "treat- ment, services, procedures, supplies, products, devices or information related to human sexuality, contraception, preg- nancy, abortion or assisted reproduction." The language harkens back to the 2009 federal Freedom of Choice Act that U.S. bishops and pro-life advocates nation- wide fought against for its pro- posal to establish abortion as a right and prohibit all interfer- ence with the decision. The fed- eral FOCA was defeated. Earlier versions proposed in 1989 and 1993 also failed. The Church in Colorado re- sponded by launching a post- card campaign to give voice to INDEX Archbishop's Column ......................2 The Catholic Difference ..................4 Guest: Amsterdam ...........................4 Letters to the Editor .......................4 Bulletin Board ................................. 15 Puzzle Page ......................................17 Nun of the Above quiz ...................17 Service Directory ...................... 18-19 PHOTO BY ROBERT LINN/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER ROSALINDA Lozano holds her grandson Agustin during the April 10 hearing on Senate Bill 175 at the Colorado Capitol. The hearing took place in the Old Supreme State Court Room in downtown Denver. APRIL 16, 2014 114 Years of Service to the Gospel Volume XC - No. 15 www.DenverCatholicRegister.org I Follow us on INSIDE REMEMBERING COLUMBINE SENIORS PAGES 10-11 PAGES 12-13 Senior citizens: you're not off the hook DCR FILE PHOTO A greater good Destructive abortion bill unleashed at state Capitol See Bill, Page 2 Watch the Cathedral Basilica's Easter Vigil LIVE Watch a live streaming of the Easter Vigil at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception downtown. The live Mass will be aired by the Denver Archdiocese 8:30 p.m. April 19 at www.archden.org. Call 303-715-3230 for more information. DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER FILE PHOTO BY JAMES BACA