Hickenlooper discusses rising demand for Colorado abortion services post-Roe

FILE – A woman supporting abortion-rights holds a sign outside the South Carolina Statehouse on July 7, 2022, in Columbia, S.C. Some South Carolina lawmakers who oppose abortion are being cautious when it comes to tightening the state’s already restrictive laws even further. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June, paving the way for states to enact total bans if they choose to do so. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard, File)

by: Alex Rose

Posted: Aug 22, 2022 / 12:48 PM MDT

Updated: Aug 22, 2022 / 01:35 PM MDT

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

DENVER (KDVR) — In the months since the issue of abortion was left to the states following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Colorado has seen a surge in people seeking abortions from states that now outlaw the procedure.

A new study showed wait times at abortion clinics across Colorado are getting longer because of increased demand, with several reporting waiting times of more than two weeks for the procedure.

U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is speaking with reproductive health care advocates, providers and patients Monday to discuss the challenges that surging demand brings for services in Colorado.

Hickenlooper and U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet both co-sponsor the Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act, which would give protection to people coming to Colorado for the procedure and providers who perform abortion services.

Cobalt, a nonprofit that provides funding for people seeking abortion services in Colorado, said it spent more than $57,000 in support services, putting people up in hotels and paying for transportation in the month since Roe was overturned. It spent a little more than $6,000 on those services during all of 2021.

Hickenlooper will participate in a roundtable discussion at 1 p.m. in Denver Monday.