2008 Colorado Amendment 48

Amendment 48

Defining a person to be any human being from the moment of fertilization.

Results

Choice

| Votes  | %

|
|

Yes  | 618,761  | 26.79%
No  | 1,691,165 | 73.21%
Valid votes  | 2,309,926  | 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes  | 0  | 0.00%
Total votes | 2,309,926 | 100.00%

* * *

Against

80–90%

70–80%

60–70%

50–60%

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* v
* t
* e

Colorado Amendment 48 was an overwhelmingly defeated initiative to amend the definition of a person to "any human being from the moment of fertilization".

The initiative was proposed jointly by Kristine Burton and Michael Burton[1] of the now-defunct organization, Colorado for Equal Rights.

This definition would have applied to all sections of Colorado law, thus giving a fetus the equal rights of life, liberty, and property as a fully developed, born person would.[2]

## Text of the Proposal

[edit]

> Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Colorado:

> SECTION 1. Article II of the constitution of the state of Colorado is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION to read:

> Section 31. Person defined. AS USED IN SECTIONS 3, 6, AND 25 OF ARTICLE II OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION, THE TERMS "PERSON" OR "PERSONS" SHALL INCLUDE ANY HUMAN BEING FROM THE MOMENT OF FERTILIZATION.[3]

## Controversy

[edit]

Colorado Right to Life supported the amendment.[4] There was bipartisan opposition [5] \-- Planned Parenthood and 2008 Colorado Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate Mark Udall were joined by anti-abortion Democratic Governor Bill Ritter, National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), and Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer.

## Results

[edit]

Amendment 48[6] Choice  | Votes  | %

|
|

No | 1,691,165 | 73.21
Yes  | 618,761  | 26.79
Total votes | 2,309,926 | 100.00

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Statement of Sufficiency (pdf). Secretary of State. State of Colorado. May 29, 2008.
2. ^ Brown, Jennifer. "Personhood" Amendment Fails. Denver Post. November 4, 2008.
3. ^ Amendment 48: Definition of Person (pdf). Colorado General Assembly.
4. ^ Vote Yes on 48 Archived 2017-04-03 at the Wayback Machine. Colorado Right to Life.
5. ^ Jorgensen, Leslie. Amendment 48: Opposition galvanizes Democrats, Republicans Archived 2008-12-08 at the Wayback Machine. Colorado Statesman. October 10, 2008.
6. ^ "Canvass Results - General Election 2008". Secretary of State of Colorado. Archived from the original on 2009-04-30. Retrieved 2009-06-24.

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