Richard D. Lamm, who as a Colorado state legislator led fights to pass the nation’s first abortion rights law in the years before Roe v. Wade and to block the 1976 Winter Olympics from being held in his state, and who went on to serve three terms as Colorado’s governor, died on Thursday in Denver. He was 85.
The cause was complications of a pulmonary embolism, a spokesman for the family, Eric Sondermann, said.
In 1967, Mr. Lamm, a Democrat, was the chief legislative force behind Colorado’s legalizing abortion in cases when the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest, the woman’s health was threatened or the baby would most likely be born handicapped.