Current law: Colorado is the first state to statutorily protect abortion. It did so in 1967, five years before Roe was originally decided. While Colorado has had few limits on abortion, a proposition passed in 1984 restricted the use of health insurance and Medicaid for abortion.

The initiatives: One ballot initiative would enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution and would allow health insurance coverage of an abortion.

Another ballot initiative would ban abortions without exception. It would also penalize facilities that provide abortions as well as individuals and providers who provide tools or medications used to perform abortions.

State of play: The initiative to enshrine abortion rights is being supported by a coalition called Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom. The antiabortion ballot measure was filed by representatives of the Colorado Life Initiative.

For each initiative, 124,238 valid signatures are required. The measures would then be a yes-or-no vote on the ballot, requiring 55 percent “yes” votes to be adopted.

Coloradans for Protecting Reproductive Freedom announced Friday that it has collected 225,000 signatures statewide. The group said it still must collect sufficient signatures in three state Senate districts to satisfy the state’s ballot initiative distribution requirement.

Abortion rights advocates beat back a ballot initiative in 2020 to restrict abortion rights before Roe was overturned. Coloradans overwhelmingly defeated it, outperforming Biden at the top of the ticket by 25,000 votes and Democrat John Hickenlooper, who won the Senate race, by more than 100,000 votes.

The politics: Abortion rights groups have long been on the defensive. This is the first time they are being proactive and trying to pass a measure that enshrines the right in the constitution. Advocates were intentional in choosing a presidential year when voter turnout is expected to be high. Colorado has at least two competitive House races, including that of Rep. Lauren Boebert (R).