(LifeSiteNews) — The Colorado Catholic bishops sent an open letter to the state’s governor on Tuesday urging him to veto a recently passed bill that would force taxpayers to fund millions for abortions.

The Colorado bishops’ April 8 letter implored homosexual Democratic Governor Jared Polis to veto SB25-183, which would allocate a minimum of $1.5 million in taxpayer funds per year toward abortions, require state employee health insurance to cover abortion costs, and codify abortion up until birth. The bishops argued that the bill violates the dignity of human life, violates the conscience rights of citizens, and won’t save the state money as the bill claims.

The letter was co-signed by Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Auxiliary Bishop Jorge Rodriguez of Denver, Bishop Stephen Berg of Pueblo, and Bishop James Golka of Colorado Springs.

The legislation passed the State House on April 6 and the Senate in March, with the governor indicating that he planned to sign the legislation. Democrats control both chambers of the state’s legislature.

READ: Colorado Democrats pass bill to codify abortion until birth, force taxpayers to fund it

“As the Catholic Bishops of Colorado, we write to express our deep disappointment and grave concern regarding SB 183, which violates the dignity of human life and disregards the safety of women and the conscience rights of millions of Coloradans who do not want to pay for abortion,” the bishops wrote.

Yesterday the bishops of Colorado issued an open letter to Governor Jared Polis urging him to veto Senate Bill 183, which mandates public funding of abortion. Read the complete letter here: https://t.co/adAM0cg6w1

— Bishop James Golka (@BishopGolka) April 9, 2025

The prelates emphasized how the bill’s legislative fiscal note stated aborting unborn babies instead of delivering them would save the state money.

“Such a statement is an egregious reflection of the inhumane mentality behind the bill,” the letter read.

Citing the recent analysis of pro-life scholar Dr. Michael New, the bishops rebuffed Colorado Democrats’ claim that aborting more babies would save the state money.

READ: Colorado Democrat pushes taxpayer-funded abortion bill, claims ‘birth is more expensive’

“Furthermore, the fiscal note drastically underestimates the cost of abortion, calculating the average abortion at $1,300, which is the average cost of first-trimester abortions only,” the prelates wrote. “According to the Colorado Department of Health, abortions after 21 weeks’ gestation make up 3.4% of all abortions in Colorado (the national average is 1 percent).”

“In 2024, 1.1% of Colorado abortions were in the third trimester. Second and third-trimester abortions can cost between $3,000- $30,000,” they added. “The fiscal note also does not consider the cost of abortion travel of women outside of Colorado for abortion, which has gone up substantially in the last three years.”

The bishops further underscored that every life is a sacred gift from God.

“Every human life, from conception to natural death, is a sacred gift from God. No act of law can change this truth, nor can it erase our moral obligation to defend the most vulnerable among us,” they wrote.

Republicans in the Colorado legislature had attempted to block the bill’s passage by adding a number of amendments. One proposal put forth by Rep. Stephanie Luck read, “Black child conceived in Colorado has a 50/50 chance of being aborted in the womb. This is an ethnic tragedy, not a choice.” None of the more than a dozen Republican amendments were added.

183 makes Colorado the feticide capitol of the world, signing taxpayers name on a https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/colorado-bishops-urge-democrat-governor-to-veto-taxpayer-funded-abortion-bill/blank check to pay for anyone making their way to Colorado. The sponsors insist this was the intent of amendment 79 https://t.co/RqPfcEdCz5

— Rep Ken deGraaf, CO HD-22 (@COrepKdeGraaf) April 6, 2025

In 2024, Coloradans opened the door to this legislation when they voted 61 percent to 39 percent in favor of Amendment 79. The amendment not only repealed a 1984 measure that prohibited public funds for covering abortions but also banned lawmakers from enacting restrictions on abortion.

“The allocation of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds to subsidize the deliberate ending of innocent life is a tragedy for Colorado,” the bishops wrote toward the end of the letter. 

“Rather than using state resources to support life-affirming alternatives — such as comprehensive prenatal care, adoption services and resources for women facing unexpected pregnancies — this bill instead prioritizes public funding of abortion at the expense of the lives of preborn children, the health of their mothers and the conscience rights of millions of Colorado taxpayers who morally object to abortion.”