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Gov. John Hickenlooper Signs Amendment Abolishing Slavery In Colorado

DENVER (CBS4) - Gov. John Hickenlooper signed Amendment A into law on Wednesday, abolishing slavery in Colorado. Voters approved the amendment in November.

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Gov. John Hickenlooper signs Amendment A into law (credit: CBS)

With the approval of Amendment A, Article II, Section 26 of Colorado's constitution had read…

There "shall never be in this state either slavery or involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted."

Now it reads …

"There shall never be in this state either slavery or involuntary servitude."

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(credit: CBS)

More than 15 other state constitutions allow slavery as punishment for a crime. The U.S. Constitution does, too.

The 13th amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished most forms of slavery but still allowed for the opportunity of servitude as legal punishment. That has yet to change.

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(credit: CBS)

"This is more than just winning a ballot issue in 2018. We accomplished the first steps in a much larger campaign to shake the very moral foundations of this country," said Abolish Slavery Colorado spokesman Jumoke Emery.

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