Colorado Democrats have approved a bill they say will help protect unrestricted access to abortions in the state if the U.S. Supreme Court decides to remove protections for the procedure.
The Reproductive Health Equity Act was one of the most debated bills at the state Capitol in modern history.
In the House, lawmakers debated the bill for 24 consecutive hours.
"No one should have their own most personal medical decisions controlled by politicians like us, neighbors, or complete strangers, and that's what's happening across the country,” House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, said.
The bill is Democrats' response to Texas and Florida passing laws to restrict abortion access.
Sen. Brittany Pettersen, D-Lakewood, said it will help women far beyond Colorado as more states weigh restrictions.
"We have already seen a significant increase of people coming to Colorado to get the care that they need," she said. "They are driving here through the night from Texas while their kids are driving in the backseat because politicians have made the care they need illegal."
Gov. Jared Polis said he will sign it.
The bill says Colorado residents have a "fundamental right" to the procedure, and fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses do not have independent rights under state law.
Republicans spent hours trying to stop the legislation from advancing.
Kristi Burton Brown, the chairwoman of the state's Republican party, called the bill "barbaric" in a statement shortly after it passed on Wednesday.
"This is a dark day for the Colorado Democrat Party and any individual who respects the sanctity of life," she said.
Earlier this session, Republican lawmakers sponsored several bills aiming to ban or severely limit the procedure. But the bills were blocked by Democrats.
