By Heidi Ganahl, Commentary | Rocky Mountain Voice
One of Kamala Harris’s most glaring falsehoods during the recent presidential debate was her dismissal of Donald Trump’s claim that abortion is legal and on demand at any point during pregnancy in some states. Harris confidently declared, “Nowhere in America is a woman carrying a pregnancy to term and asking for an abortion. That is not an abortion. That is not happening.”
But the truth is, it *is* happening—right here in Colorado.
The radical position of “abortion until birth” was on full display as Harris, much like our Colorado Governor Jared Polis, defended unrestricted access to abortion without acknowledging the serious ethical and moral implications of late-term procedures. Her VP pick Walz is just as radical. Harris dodged direct questions about whether there should be any limits on abortion, instead regurgitating tired rhetoric about “protecting women’s rights.” What she failed to mention, however, is that her extreme position, like that of Polis, is not supported by most Americans. Many people don’t realize that third-trimester abortions do, in fact, happen. But they do—right up the road in Boulder, where Dr. Warren Hern has performed over 40,000 abortions since 1975, including countless third-trimester procedures.
Dr. Hern is one of the few remaining abortion providers in the United States who performs late-term abortions. His Boulder clinic has become a destination for women seeking to end pregnancies well into the third trimester, even at a stage when the baby could survive outside the womb with proper medical care. Hern’s practice exemplifies the extremism of Colorado’s abortion laws, which are among the most permissive in the country. In 2022, Governor Jared Polis signed the Reproductive Health Equity Act into law, a radical piece of legislation that permits abortion for any reason, at any stage of pregnancy. This law has pushed Colorado to the extreme fringes of the abortion debate, allowing the termination of viable fetuses in the final weeks of pregnancy.
Hern’s clinic in Boulder is notorious for performing third-trimester abortions, and patients come from across the country, especially from states where abortion laws are stricter. While 69% of Americans support legal abortion in the first trimester, a 2023 survey revealed that support plummets for later stages of pregnancy—dropping to 37% for the second trimester and a mere 22% for the third trimester. A staggering 70% of Americans oppose third-trimester abortions, a reflection of the public’s discomfort with the idea of aborting a baby that could survive outside the womb. Despite this overwhelming opposition, Hern and Governor Polis continue to champion the practice, fully embracing the most extreme version of the pro-abortion movement.
Hern’s justification for performing late-term abortions is deeply unsettling. He argues that pregnancy is a dangerous condition, and that abortion is often the solution. But at 34 weeks, when some of these abortions are performed, the baby is fully formed and capable of surviving outside the womb with proper medical care. These are not hypothetical scenarios—these are real, viable human lives being destroyed. And yet, despite the clear scientific and moral implications, Hern continues his work, backed by Colorado’s extreme abortion laws.
Governor Jared Polis has taken Colorado to the far edge of the abortion debate. The Reproductive Health Equity Act, which he proudly signed, enshrines the right to abortion for any reason, at any stage of pregnancy, into state law. This radical legislation ensures that Colorado remains a haven for late-term abortions, regardless of the opposition from the vast majority ofAmericans. Polis’s unwavering defense of abortion until birth, paired with his willingness to sign laws that allow for the termination of viable babies, reveals a deep disregard for the sanctity of life. It is clear that under his leadership, Colorado has become a hub for women seeking to terminate pregnancies far beyond the point of viability.
In a few weeks, Colorado voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on Initiative 79, a ballot measure that could take the state even further down this dangerous path. Initiative 79 seeks to lift Colorado’s nearly 40-year-old constitutional ban on state funding for abortions and would codify into the state constitution that the government “shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of the right to abortion, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion.” This initiative, if passed, would cement Colorado’s status as one of the most radically pro-abortion states in the country, with virtually no limits on the procedure.
The implications of Colorado’s extreme abortion laws are horrifying. Babies who could survive outside the womb are being aborted, and politicians like Polis and Harris are defending these practices as “rights.” But this is not healthcare—this is the taking of viable human lives that could have been saved. Colorado’s laws reflect the most extreme form of the pro-abortion agenda, one that is disconnected from the values and beliefs of most Americans.
As the 2024 election approaches, voters are faced with a stark choice: support leaders who believe in protecting life and setting common-sense limits on abortion, or continue down a path where viable babies are legally killed, even up to birth. Colorado’s extreme abortion laws, defended by leaders like Polis and Harris, represent a dangerous step away from compassion and basic human decency. It’s time for Americans to demand better. Late-term abortion is a moral atrocity, and the majority of the public knows it. It’s up to the voters to push back against this radical agenda and demand policies that reflect the sanctity of life.
Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.