Reproductive Health Equity Act Passes Colorado's House Of Representatives 7-4

DENVER (CBS4) - It's one of the longest legislative debates, if not the longest, in Colorado's history. After nearly 24 hours, the Reproductive Health Equity Act passed in the House of Representatives by a 7-4 vote.

The bill advanced on Saturday morning just before a rally organized by pro-life advocates in Colorado at the State Capitol.

Counter protesters joined the rally as well as lawmakers who stopped by after the vote.

The bill calls for every individual to have "a fundamental right to use or refuse contraception; every pregnant individual has a fundamental right to continue the pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state."

Colorado GOP Chairwoman Kristi Burton Brown released a statement:

"I'm so proud of our Colorado Republicans who fought ALL night and set a record for the longest legislative debate in Colorado history to try and stop the most extreme abortion bill in the nation. This legislation would remove parental notification in Colorado law, allow partial-birth abortion, and protect infanticide. It's disgusting and should have been defeated. We are the pro-life party and freedom begins with the freedom to live. Equal rights are not equal until they extend to every human being. We will never stop working to protect the rights of the unborn."

The bill says women have the right to an abortion and the right to contraception and state and local governments cannot restrict that. It also says an embryo does not have personhood rights.