No Taxes for Abortion

M E D I A A D V I S O R Y

Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) allied attorney Barry Arrington and Colorado citizen Mark Hotaling will hold a news conference on Wednesday, October 29th at 2:15 P.M. in the Senate Press Room of the State Capitol announcing their $18 million lawsuit against Governor Bill Ritter, Planned Parenthood, Boulder Valley Women's Health Center (BVWHC) and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment for illegal taxpayer funding of abortion.

The lawsuit comes less than a week after plaintiffs learned of the illegal taxpayer funding made by Governor Ritter and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment to Colorado's leading abortionists. The funding directly violates Article 5, Section 50 of the Colorado Constitution which states that no public funds can be used "directly or indirectly" for the performance of an abortion.

In 2001, then Governor Owens finally implemented Article 5, Section 50 to strip Planned Parenthood and BVWHC of more than $1 million in illegal tax subsidies after an independent audit found and Planned Parenthood recently admitted that it's impossible to separate their abortion activities from their taxpayer subsidies.

In 2006 during Governor Ritter's campaign, he publically pledged to restore the funding to Colorado's abortionists despite the voter approved and affirmed Article 5, Section 50. Then in June of this year, Governor Ritter awarded these abortionists $9 million a year for two years.

"Their actions are an outrageous and arrogant disregard for the people's will and common decency," stated Hotaling. "Abortionists like Planned Parenthood are so eager to get our tax dollars that they are willing to ignore the will of the people and the Colorado Constitution," he added.

"Fundamentally, this case is about the rule of law itself. Bill Ritter thinks he knows better than the voters who amended the constitution to prohibit tax dollar subsidies to abortion providers. We are asking the court to tell the Governor the people are his boss, not the other way around. It's that simple," concluded Arrington.

Additionally, representatives from the Yes on 48 and Yes on 54 campaigns have been invited to attend and be available for interviews to give their perspectives on this lawsuit.

Contact Mark Hotaling with questions at (970) 556-0097