Dan Caplis Show, Bill Cadman, April 7, 2015

Station:   KNUS, 710 AM

Show:      Dan Caplis Show

Guests:    Cadman

Link:        http://dancaplis.podbean.com/

Date:       April 7, 2015

Topics:     Longmont tragedy, Michelle Wilkins, Fetal Homicide Bill, California Section 186, Fetus, Thirty-eight (38) Other States, Bipartisan, Outlawing Abortion, Abortion Neutral Bill, Constitutional, Court Reviewed, Political Reality, Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, Precedent, Governor John Hickenlooper, Split Legislature, Homicide Charges

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HOST DAN CAPLIS:  Right.  And, I think, across Party lines, now, there’s outrage that that murderer of the child, who intentionally cuts the child out of the womb, intentionally kills the child by leaving it there without medical support is able to avoid a murder charge under Colorado law.  So, I think you have the public behind you on this.  Do you have a sense yet, what the language of this law is going to look like?  Is it going to look like California Section 186, which as you know, simply says, that, you know, these homicide laws apply to a fetus as well to a person born alive, or is it likely to take some other shape?

COLORADO STATE SENATE PRESIDENT BILL CADMAN:  Yeah, I think what we’re hoping to – is to have it as simple, as straightforward as possible.  And you mentioned the California penal code, as well, and that’s definitely one of the models we’re looking at.  And as I mentioned, there’s thirty-eight other states that have them.  Um, so, I think, um, you know, we just have to get to a consensus, here.  I’ve been working across the aisle, and spoke yesterday, across the building to the Speaker of the House, and you’re right.  We – this cuts [across] Party lines.  This is —  people are equally incensed that there is no provision for justice in this situation.

CAPLIS:  Well, it would seem – and Senate President Bill Cadman, kind enough to spend a few minutes with us – it would seem that you would have a awfully powerful argument, difficult to rebut, if you just model it on Section 186 in California.  I mean, this is California, after all, and they’ve had it in place for decades.

CADMAN:  Absolutely

CAPLIS:  So, you know, the people who claim that, “Oh, no!  If we include fetuses in our homicide protection, it’s going to lead to outlawing abortion in the state.” Well, if it hasn’t happened in California, it’s not going to help in Colorado.  And so, California, I think, is a tremendous model. But I completely trust that you will find the most effective way to do this.  But, one related question –

CADMAN:  Sure.

CAPLIS:  I’ve been getting some mail on this, the understandable concern about, you know, will the Senate bill that’s proposed by the President, our guest Bill Cadman, — will it specifically affirm the ongoing right to abortion in Colorado or will it be abortion neutral, as they say?

CADMAN:  You know, in order to pass the legislative environment that we’re in – and I think it’s fairly consistent across the country with many states, is you do have to put a provision in there that just says, you know, this is about really protecting a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body — specifically, to also include choosing to keep her baby.  And what we need to do is balance that so that those who do choose that are protected under the law, as well.

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