Today, Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in McCullen v. Coakley, which while affirming the legality of states’ right to protect their citizens, struck down a Massachusetts’ law that set a 35-foot fixed buffer zone for specific medical clinics:
“Colorado women and all women should have unimpeded access to health care services. In Colorado, we’ve shown how to balance that access with the right to free speech. The Supreme Court has made striking that balance more difficult, but Colorado’s law should serve as a model for other states. We must remain committed to allowing women and families to enter medical facilities without fear of intimidation.”
Under Colorado law, it is unlawful within 100-feet of a medical facility to protest or approach a patient within 8 feet. This decision was upheld by the Supreme Court in Hill v. Colorado.