Our country suffers from extreme polarization.  There is no easy way to diffuse the controversies and find common ground without a common set of facts.  If there are many conflicting narratives, each claiming to reflect the truth, we will continue to be stymied.  By promoting objective fact finding, we can transition to evidence-based policies and legislation and move beyond partisan paralysis.     

State Rep. Stephanie Luck, R-Penrose, has introduced a bill that promises to shed a bright light on one of these polarizing issues – abortion.  HB21-1183 is an abortion surveillance bill that gives the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) additional tools to obtain reliable abortion data from Colorado’s abortion providers and expands the information that is required to be submitted.   

If enacted, HB21-1183, will give the people of Colorado an accurate accounting of the number abortions in the state.  This is not a small feat since the Guttmacher Institute’s abortion estimates are 40% more than the official tally reported by the CDPHE.  There are other indications that the CDPHE statistics are not credible.  The number and percentage of late-term abortions can fluctuate dramatically from year to year.   There is good evidence that Colorado’s most prominent late-abortion practice has not reported their data for years.  The discrepancies reflect the inability of CDPHE to reliably identify all abortion providers in the state and hold them accountable for reporting.  What is the point of collecting abortion surveillance data if they are incomplete and misleading?   

Beyond the numbers, HB21-1183 will give us a much more robust understanding of why Colorado women pursue abortion.  With this knowledge Colorado legislators and private nonprofits can fashion policies and programs that decrease the demand for abortion – a common goal whether you are an abortion-rights activist or pro-life.  Through the multivariable analysis made possible by HB21-1183 we can better assess the impact of private/public interventions on abortion in our state.  What impact will Colorado’s paid family leave program have on abortion rates?  Will new family planning initiatives, changes in the minimum wage, and refundable child tax credits affect abortion demand?   How can we better support women with unplanned pregnancies so they truly feel they have a choice?  Do we provide adequate resources to pregnant women who aspire to complete their high school or college degree?  Can the work environment be made more flexible to accommodate pregnant women’s careers and alter abortion demand?  Is there adequate education and support for families with babies that will have special needs?  Why do women delay their abortion decision beyond the first and second trimester when the procedure carries substantial risk to their health and life?  Is abortion access a problem in Colorado?  What abortion complications are common and how do we minimize these?  These are just some of the questions that HB21-1183 will help us answer.   

Knowledge is power. With the knowledge afforded by HB21-1183 we can better inform the Colorado public and institute policies/programs that make a real difference in the lives of women and men throughout Colorado.  Coloradans can make a significant contribution by contacting members of the House Health and Insurance Committee to encourage them to vote yes on HB21-1183 and send the bill to the full House for passage.

Tom Perille, M.D., is president of Democrats for Life of Colorado.