DENVER – Colorado legislators and representatives of several interest groups want to capitalize on the momentum from women’s marches across the nation as they launch Women and Families’ Wednesdays at the state Capitol.
The group will gather every Wednesday on Capitol Hill during the legislative session to allow participants to campaign for issues that directly affect women and families.
“For us, this is really about providing more frequent and regular access and saying that ‘this Capitol is your Capitol, the legislators who work here are your legislators,’” said Cristina Aguilar, executive director of Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights. The event will encompass issues that the organization considers under threat by the Trump administration.
“Important movements like reproductive justice, environmental justice and workers justice are all interconnected, and unfortunately, that are all under threat from our new administration,” said Sen. Irene Aguilar, D-Denver.
But women’s reproductive rights were at the forefront Wednesday. “Today, we are seeing attacks on women’s health and reproductive health care access from both state and federal leaders,” said House Majority Leader KC Becker, D-Boulder.
“As you know, Congress is being led by politicians whose goals seem to be to undermine women’s health.”
The attacks on women’s choices go against the values of Colorado, which was the first state to legalize abortion 50 years ago and has a long history of being pro choice, said Karen Middleton, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado.
“Colorado is proof that being pro choice and empowering women isn’t just a mainstream value, it’s good public policy,” Middleton said.
Jillian Coffee, field organizing specialist for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said: “We’re prepared to be here every week and fight for our rights, not only for reproductive rights but also for all intersecting rights that affect women’s access.”
The weekly event, in its second year, will highlight bills that should be brought to the attention of lawmakers for the effect they will have on women and families, Aguilar said.
“We want to make sure that the women and families of Colorado have what they need to lead healthy and successful lives where they are really thriving and they feel like are able to be their own voice for what their needs are,” she said.
On Wednesday, the list included House Bill 1001, which seeks to renew legislation that granted time off for parents to attend academic activities.
The bill was repealed in September 2015, according to H.B. 1001.
“It’s a common-sense piece of legislation,” said Neha Mahajan, chapter director of 9-5 Colorado.
Also discussed was a bill being prepared by Rep. Faith Winter, D-Westminster, that would reintroduce the Colorado FAMLI Act.
The act was proposed by Winter in 2015 as H.B 1258, and aimed to “provide partial wage-replacement benefits to an eligible individual who takes leave from work to care for a new child or a family member with a serious health condition or who is unable to work due to the individual’s own serious health condition,” according to the bill.
“This is another common-sense solution that provides 12 weeks of paid parental and medical leave for families across the state,” Mahajan said.
lperkins@durangoherald.com
