Colorado Amendment 48 was a defeated initiative to amend the definition of a person to "any human being from the moment of fertilization". The initiative was proposed jointly by Kristine Burton and Michael Burton of the now-defunct organization, Colorado for Equal Rights. This definition would have applied to all sections of Colorado law, thus giving a fetus the equal rights of life, liberty, and property as a fully developed, born person would.Brown, Jennifer
"Personhood" Amendment Fails
''Denver Post''. November 4, 2008.

Text of the Proposal

SECTION 1. Article II of the constitution of the state of Colorado is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION to read: Section 31. Person defined. AS USED IN SECTIONS 3, 6, AND 25 OF ARTICLE II OF THE STATE CONSTITUTION, THE TERMS "PERSON" OR "PERSONS" SHALL INCLUDE ANY HUMAN BEING FROM THE MOMENT OF FERTILIZATION.

Controversy

Colorado Right to Life supported the amendment. There was bipartisan opposition Jorgensen, Leslie
Amendment 48: Opposition galvanizes Democrats, Republicans
. ''Colorado Statesman''. October 10, 2008. --

Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization

and 2008 Colorado Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate

Mark Udall Mark Emery Udall ( ; born July 18, 1950) is an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Colorado from 2009 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, repres ...

were joined by

anti-abortion Anti-abortion movements, also self-styled as pro-life movements, are involved in the abortion debate advocating against the practice of abortion and its Abortion by country, legality. Many anti-abortion movements began as countermovements in r ...

Democratic Governor

Bill Ritter August William Ritter Jr. (born September 6, 1956) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 41st Governor of Colorado from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the district attorney for Denver before his ele ...

National Right to Life Committee The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and largest national anti-abortion organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide. Since the 1980s, NRLC has influenc ...

(NRLC), and Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer.

Results

References

{{Colorado-stub Amendment 48 2008 controversies in the United States Initiatives in the United States Constitution of Colorado U.S. state constitutional amendments