Deep Blue Colorado has settled for $6.1 million following a court decision last year that opposed the Democratic state’s attempt to prohibit pro-life pregnancy centers from providing reverse abortion pills.
The state will cover legal fees for two religious freedom organizations that represented Vera Health and Wellness Clinic and nurse Chelsea Minnick: the Beckett Fund for Religious Freedom and the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF). According to the settlement, $5.4 million will go to Beckett and $700,000 to ADF for their legal costs.
A representative from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office confirmed the settlement but did not provide further comments.
“At least 18 mothers who received abortion pill recovery treatment at Bela are celebrating Christmas with their babies now,” remarked Rebecca Ricketts, a senior advisor to Beckett and a legal representative for Vera Health and Wellness. “Every Coloradan should take joy in these little miracles and honor Bella’s courageous medical team that helped when no one else could.”
Medication abortion generally takes place in the first ten weeks of pregnancy, utilizing a two-drug approach. Mifepristone is the first drug, which blocks progesterone, a hormone crucial for sustaining the pregnancy. Its blockage causes the mother’s uterine lining to deteriorate, depriving the developing baby of nutrients and leading to its demise. The second drug, Misoprostol, facilitates contractions to expel the fetus. By 2023, medical abortion is expected to account for around 63 percent of abortions in the United States.
Supporters of the Abortion Pill Reversal Protocol indicate that healthcare providers can prescribe progesterone to attempt to reverse a medical abortion after mifepristone is taken, but prior to Misoprostol, in order to counteract mifepristone’s effects and preserve the pregnancy.
In 2023, Colorado enacted groundbreaking legislation, SB23-190, which categorized administering progesterone to reverse abortion pill effects as “unprofessional practice.” This targeted legislation led Dede Chism and Abby Sinnett, a mother-daughter nurse duo and founders of Vera Health and Wellness, to challenge the law in court, asserting it infringed on First Amendment rights concerning religious beliefs and free speech. ADF’s certified nurse midwife, Mynyk, later joined the suit.
A Beckett attorney stated in the initial complaint: “Vera and its providers cannot ethically refuse assistance to any woman wishing to carry her pregnancy to term simply because she has taken mifepristone.”
The complaint also emphasized that Vera feels a religious duty to offer abortion pill recovery whenever possible, rooted in their beliefs in human dignity.
The state countered with input from its own professionals and major pro-abortion medical associations, claiming that reversing abortion pills is unproven, possibly unsafe, and based on incomplete data.
Ultimately, Judge Daniel Domenico, a Trump appointee, ruled in August 2025 that the burden on Colorado was excessive, siding with Vera Health and Mynyk. He noted that the plaintiffs were religious entities specifically targeted by the legislation.
“…[W]it continued: “The clinical effectiveness of reversing abortion pills is still up for debate; however, there have been no reported injuries from this treatment, and many women have successfully given birth to children as a result.” Hence, the state failed to present a compelling reason to regulate this practice, leading to the granting of a permanent injunction allowing the plaintiffs to continue providing abortions.
Domenico also observed that Colorado permits extensive off-label use of progesterone in various obstetric and gynecological contexts, as well as for in vitro fertilization and gender reassignment procedures.
He stated, “Conclusively, it is difficult to argue that the plaintiffs’ use of progesterone is neutrally regulated and not favored.” He emphasized that the defendants had not met the stringent test needed to justify their regulation of the plaintiffs’ practice.
Domenico referenced Supreme Court rulings clearly stating that his order specifically applied to Mynyk and Bella Health and Wellness, noting it constrained broader injunctions from lower courts.
He explained that while parties may show relief as seeking an injunction against SB 23-290, his jurisdiction is limited to the specific disputes between the parties involved. Thus, the injunction applies to the enforcement against the plaintiffs, not the law itself.
This case is documented as Bella Health and Wellness v. Weiser, No. 1:23-cv-939 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.
