Half of Colorado voters are OK with Hobby Lobby decision, poll shows

Exactly half of Colorado voters think the Supreme Court got it right when it said closely held corporations may opt out of an Obamacare rule that requires employers to include contraception in their health plans, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released Monday.

The pollsters said 46 percent of Coloradans disagreed with the June 30 ruling and found stark divisions when sorting the data by gender or political party.

Men agreed with the “Hobby Lobby” decision on contraception, 59-38 percent, while women disagreed, 54-43 percent, according to Quinnipiac.

Republicans agreed 79-18 percent, while Democrats disagreed 77-21 percent. Independent voters were split, 48-48 percent.

Republicans have hailed the Hobby Lobby decision as a win for religious liberty, since the plaintiffs in the cases before the justices objected to certain contraceptives on faith-based grounds.

Meanwhile, Democrats are using the adverse ruling to whip up fervor among their progressive base and female voters.

The Supreme Court’s decision is of particular relevance to Colorado, where Sen. Mark Udall and his Republican challenger, Rep. Cory Gardner, have sparred over the issue ahead of their November showdown.

Mr. Udall authored a bill that would have reversed the ruling and required companies to insure contraception, although it could not surmount a Republican filibuster last week.

Mr. Gardner, meanwhile, said contraceptives should be sold over-the-counter to broaden access.

The plaintiffs before the Supreme Court in “Hobby Lobby” only objected to morning-after pills they equate with abortion, and not common oral contraceptives.

Despite Coloradans opinions on the case, 29 percent said abortion should be legal in all cases and 35 percent said it should be legal in most cases, Quinnipiac found.

“Almost two-thirds of Coloradans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Voters are divided, however, on the Supreme Court ruling letting for-profit employers opt out of the contraception requirements of the Affordable Care Act,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University poll.