DENVER - The Colorado House on Monday backed a measure that would set aside money for a birth-control program that provides intrauterine devices, or IUDs, to low-income young women.
Co-sponsored by Republican Rep. Don Coram of Montrose, the measure passed 37-26 in the Democratic-controlled House, with Republican Rep. J. Paul Brown of Ignacio also supporting the measure.
House Bill 1194 now faces an uphill climb in the Republican-controlled Senate.
The legislation would provide $5 million to continue the Colorado Family Planning Initiative program that health officials say lowered the teen birth rate in Colorado by an impressive 40 percent.
The program currently is funded through an anonymous grant. For it to continue, state support is necessary.
"It's a good bill, and it makes sense," said Coram, who has found himself at odds with some of his fellow Republicans, who have equated the device to inducing abortion. Coram even wore IUD jewelry as a lapel pin on his jacket in solidarity.
Dr. Larry Wolk, executive director and chief medical officer for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, pointed out that 99 percent of the time IUDs act as a hormonal barrier, making it unlikely that there would be implantation of a fertilized egg.
Coram added, "It's one of those situations where if you do not believe in abortion ... if stopping a bleeding heart is really your problem, then if you can actually prevent that egg from being fertilized, that saves abortions."
Brown agreed, adding, "Rep. Coram convinced me that it saves babies, it saves money. I don't feel like it's a pro-life bill, maybe even the opposite in that it saves."
State health officials estimate that expanding the program would prevent about 4,300 abortions per year, along with tens of millions of public welfare dollars spent annually on teen and unwanted births.
The San Juan Basin Health Department, which includes La Plata and Archuleta counties, provided 513 long-acting reversible contraceptives since 2009. Including the other eight counties that surround Durango, a total of 3,207 contraceptives have been provided. Statewide, about 30,000 women have received the contraceptives through the program since 2009.
In rare cases, the egg can become fertilized even with the device, but the device stops the fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, which has driven much of the opposition to the bill along the abortion argument.
As the measure heads to the GOP-controlled Senate, concerns will continue.
"I'm not personally supporting that bill," said Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs. "It's kind of the libertarianism in me coming out and saying this is not really where the government should be focusing its resources."
pmarcus@durangoherald.com
