Lawmakers in Colorado — the state that has emerged as ground zero for the movement to redefine life as beginning at conception — won’t stop trying to pass a radical “personhood” law to severely roll back abortion rights. And, in the aftermath of a tragic crime that was committed against a pregnant woman last month, they might finally gain some traction after years of failed attempts.

This week, Republicans in the state introduced a measure that would allow the state to bring murder charges in crimes that result in a loss of a pregnancy — effectively endowing fetuses with the same rights as Colorado citizens in the state’s criminal code, and paving the way to enshrine personhood into law.

The measure stipulates that “the term ‘person’ includes an unborn child at every stage of gestation from conception until live birth.” It clarifies that charges should not be applied to acts committed by the pregnant person or to “medical procedures,” although it does not explicitly reference abortion.

The lawmakers sponsoring the measure say that it is not a personhood law and it effectively protects abortion rights. But reproductive rights proponents are particularly wary of codifying the idea that personhood begins at conception, which they say will ultimately make it easier to outlaw abortion and even some types of birth control.