Governor John A. Love of Colorado signs the first liberalized abortion law (based upon a model created by the American Law Institute) in the United States, allowing abortion in cases of permanent mental or physical disability of either the child or mother or in cases of rape or incest.
This amended Colorado law on abortion has been on the books for over 100 years. Similar laws will soon be passed in California, Oregon, and North Carolina.
According to Governor Love,
"The new law does several things. First it extends beyond the possible death of the woman or her serious physical injury to include mental impairment of a serious and permanent nature when verified by a psychiatrist. It also extends to cases in which it is likely that the child would have a grave and permanent physical deformity or mental retardation. Finally it extends to certain cases of rape and incest. ...
The bill itself is completely permissive, not requiring any hospital, doctor, nurse, potential mother or any other person to act in any way to terminate a pregnancy at any time."
Early in the legislative session, Governor Love reportedly said that easing abortion restrictions "sounds like something I can support." Now, however, he says:
"The action of the Legislature in passing a bill which seeks to amend Colorado law in regard to the legal termination of certain pregnancies has presented to me one of the more important and difficult decisions of my experience in office."
Leonard Carlin, president of the Catholic Lawyers Guild of Denver, says
"My impression was that he was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the bill."
