Caucus-Goers Prepare For Abortion Debate

DENVER -- Presidential candidates aren’t the only topic up for debate in the caucuses Tuesday night.

One of the hot-button issues this year is the so-called “Personhood Initiative,” a proposed ballot measure that, if passed, would define a human being as a person at the moment of conception.

Pro-life advocates are giving their caucus-goers some tips on strategy.

"Jesus said to be as wise as serpents and as gentle as doves," said Bob Enyart, spokesman with Colorado Right to Life.

The pro-life group is encouraging supporters to go early and find out which way their caucus members lean.

He said if they’re liberal, supporters should volunteer to be a delegate, but if they’re conservative “then you come out of the closet. Say ‘I have a personhood petition, would you sign it, I have this personhood resolution and I'd like to be elected as a delegate to our county conventions.’"

Abortion-rights activists said they would also be out in force at Tuesday night’s cacuses, presenting resolutions that oppose the initiative.

"We're working very hard with a lot of our coalition partners to make sure this ballot initiative is defeated in Colorado," said Leslie Durgin, of Planned Parenthood for the Rocky Mountains. "It really very, very fundamentally interferes with the right of a woman and her physician to make medical decisions about her own health."

Pro-life activists are trying to collect 100,000 signatures by May.

Both sides believe that will happen, so on Tuesday night, they will try to get people energizes for the vote in November.