Access to abortion and gender-affirming care in Colorado will be bolstered by three Democratic bills signed into law Friday by Gov. Jared Polis. They further cement the state’s reputation as a refuge for people in other parts of the country governed by laws that limit when someone can terminate a pregnancy or transition their gender. 

Polis said during a signing ceremony at the state Capitol that he’s proud of Colorado’s “reputation as a beacon of freedom, a beacon of choice, a beacon of individuality.”

The measures were passed by the legislature a year after Polis signed a bill enshrining nearly unfettered abortion access into state law as abortion restrictions proliferate in states with Republican legislatures following the repeal of Roe v. Wade. That 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision guaranteed a minimal level of abortion access, for nearly five decades before it was overturned in June.

“We pass this legislation today in order to say ‘we see you in Colorado’ and ‘we’ve got your back,'” Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat and lead sponsor of one of the bills, said in an emotional speech before the measures were signed. “Let the passage of these three bills stand as a testament to folks in this state and across the country that Colorado is a beacon for care.”

Read the full story on ColoradoSun.com.