For the third time, Colorado voters reject personhood amendment

For the third time, Colorado voters reject personhood amendment
(Image credit: iStock)

In Colorado, Amendment 67, the proposal that sought to include "unborn human beings" in the definition of "person" and "child" in the criminal code, is losing 2-to-1 with 61 percent of precincts reporting.

This is the third time an amendment seeking to redefine personhood has made it to the ballot in Colorado. Now, the criminal code defines a "person" as someone who was born and alive when the criminal act occurred, and does not include an embryo, fetus, or unborn child at any stage of development prior to live birth, the Denver Post says.

Opponents argue that Colorado already has laws that protect pregnant women, and the amendment could make abortion a crime if a district attorney decided to press charges. Supporters said it should be illegal to kill or harm an unborn human being, and a perpetrator should be held criminally and civilly liable.

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Catherine Garcia

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.