DENVER — Reproductive rights group NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado has broken away from its national affiliate and will re-brand under a new name, Cobalt.
The group wants to continue pushing for reproductive and abortion rights, Cobalt President Karen Middleton told Next with Kyle Clark. The purpose of the transformation is to focus on more Colorado-specific missions like elections, as well as fighting state ballot measures intended to limit access to abortion.
“Our supporters have been confused by the branding for years,” Middleton said. “We want to deliver a cleaner, fresher message that makes sense for Colorado.”
State lawmakers introduced four bills related to abortion in the Colorado legislature in 2020, and one group has begun gathering signatures for a ballot measure that would prohibit late-term abortions.
According to Middleton, Colorado hasn’t seen a similar ballot measure since 2014, and there hasn’t been a comparable amount of bills within the last five years.
“[NARAL Pro-Choice America’s] got a 50-state plan, so what they might be doing in Kentucky, or Michigan, or Arizona doesn’t necessarily matter to what we’re doing in Colorado,” she said. “We have not seen more than one bill a session in at least the last two years, so I think this is an uptick. I think we’re seeing more interest from anti-choice activists who want to get their message out.”
Cobalt also plans to start a political action committee and get more involved in federal races, including this year’s race to fill Colorado’s contested U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican Cory Gardner. Middleton said Cobalt will now be able to endorse candidates on any level who complement the group's mission in Colorado, a freedom they didn't have before under the umbrella of NARAL.
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