Colorado Moves Toward Defining Fertilized Egg as a Person

The Colorado Supreme Court, in a 7-0 vote, cleared the way yesterday for a ballot initiative that would amend the state's Constitution to define "the term 'person' to include any human being from the moment of fertilization as 'person'... in those provisions of the Colorado constitution relating to inalienable rights, equality of justice, and due process of law." In other words, any fertilized egg would be considered a person with full Constitutional rights.

The language of this measure does not seem to require implantation or the potential for a successful pregnancy, or address the rights of women with whom the rights of a fertilized egg might conflict, in vitro fertilization, miscarriage, or forms of contraception that might make it unlikely for a fertilized egg to implant in the uterus.

The measure has been pushed by anti-choice activists as a means of banning abortion, and supporters must now gather signatures to have the initiative placed on the ballot for November 2008. NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado has more in a press release responding to the Court's decision.