Rep. Laura Bradford

Entering her second session, the Collbran Republican wants to make it a separate crime to attack a woman when she is pregnant, particularly if that crime results in the death of the child. As a result, an attacker would face two counts of assault instead of one.

Although her measure’s likely to raise questions among the pro-choice crowd, Bradford said her intent is not to create separate rights for the unborn and enter the abortion debate. Instead, Bradford said she merely wants to encourage people to think twice about harming an expectant mother.

“We’ve done the research and found that 36 states have some crime or law about this,” she said. “In the real conservative Bible Belt states, you’ll see laws starting this at conception. Here, we’re just going to try for the third trimester. I’ve got one whole section of the bill dedicated to the definition, and specifically that it does not and can not be used to interfere with a woman’s right to choose.”

The proposal stems from two recent cases in Mesa County: the 2008 shooting death of 23-year-old Anna Macias in Grand Junction and the 2007 highway death of the unborn daughter of 26-year-old Collbran resident Shea Lehnen. Lehnen’s vehicle was hit head-on by a Grand Junction man during a high-speed chase with the Colorado State Patrol. Both women were 8 1/2 months pregnant at the time of the deaths.