LAT: Abortion Alert Rule Makes CA Ballot (could draw Arnold-agenda voters)

[DeepModem Mom]

Abortion Alert Rule Makes Ballot
The measure requiring minors to tell their parents before ending a pregnancy will go before voters if governor calls a special election.

By Jordan Rau, Times Staff Writer


SACRAMENTO — A decades-long effort to require California minors seeking abortions to tell their parents has qualified for the ballot, the first issue to be assured a place in a special election that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger might call for this fall.

The measure would be an anomaly on a ballot likely to be dominated by questions about how to alter the balance of political power in the Capitol. Some analysts said it could draw more voters inclined to support Schwarzenegger's agenda, which includes stripping lawmakers of the ability to draw their own districts, placing new curbs on state spending and delaying tenure for teachers.

"If it touches a chord, and I think it might, it might provide for Gov. Schwarzenegger a little extra boost, a nudge," said Bill Whalen, a former aide to Gov. Pete Wilson now at the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

Public opinion polls show that the Parents' Right to Know and Child Protection Initiative is an odds-on favorite to pass, said Republican and Democratic strategists alike. If it does, California would join 33 other states that require some kind of parental involvement in a minor's decision to have an abortion.

The initiative would prevent minors from having an abortion until 48 hours after a doctor informed their parents or legal guardians in writing. Minors would not need parents' permission to terminate a pregnancy, as they do in 19 other states, including Arizona. California's two other neighbors, Nevada and Oregon, do not have parental involvement laws....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-abortion18may18,0,1409658.story?coll=la-home-local

[noonwitch]

1. I have really mixed feelings about parental consent laws

Abortion is surgery, and for any other procedure, parental consent is required. Michigan has a parental consent law, and there is a judicial bypass component, but that leaves it up to the individual biases of county judges. In Wayne or Washtenaw counties, for example, a young woman would be able to get judicial consent fairly easily. In Kent or Ottawa, it's a whole different situation.

In a good family situation, things get handled properly, whatever the ultimate decision is. There always needs to be a way for a girl with an abusive family to access abortion services, however.

[HockeyMom]

2. 17 year olds - playing devil's advocate here

I graduated high school young. At 17 I had a full time job, my own apartment, and was going to college at night. My parents contributed nothing to my support other than an occasional $20 until my next paycheck. I would have found this legislation highly insulting. As my Dad used to say to me back then, "It's your life. You are paying your own bills. You are free to do what you want."

So a young woman in this situation would have to go home to Mommy and Daddy? I lived in another state from my parents for a few months. Absurd. Go before a judge? I was making all my own decisions in life, why should a judge make this one for me? Go to court to be declared an emancipated minor? How the hell long would that take?


The real agenda here is to make it harder to get abortions. Why else would "Concerned" Women for America, Focus on the Family, etc., be campaigning for this legislation? These organizations are all anti abortion groups. They are very shrewd. They are trying to play to parents logic and sympathy to achieve their agenda - stop abortions. As that woman from Concerned Women for America, who I saw on Faux, said, "Unfortunately, we have found these parental notification laws are not working out as we had planned. Far too many parents are giving their permission to abort their grandchildren. But if we can prevent even one abortion, that is one baby we will save."

If they cannot outlaw it totally, they can stop it by a chip here, chip there.

[Gelliebeans]

8. I tend to agree with you

being a parent myself, I believe the agenda here is to chip away any legal means possible on abortion.

One of my best friends was in a similar position you were in, in that she was completely self supporting herself and attending college at 17. We have discussed this and she feels that she was supporting herself and she should be the one to decide what to do about her own body.

I have another problem with molestation of young women by a guardian or parent, by blanketing another law may lead to unfortunate results.

I too want to know what is going on with my kid however I don't think making another law will foster that. Young girls will be forced to hide from parents and possibly break the law.

The more restrictive abortion becomes, the more we punish women especially young women.
I think that is what the Heritage Foundation and Focus on the Family have in mind.

[gatlingforme]

9. You are right - isn't it funny how women must confer with a judge

regarding what she should do with her body? amazing bullshit. She should ask the judge (if the judge is male) what type of pill she should use too and whether she should use a tampon or pad. effing joke is what it is. most guys don't even know how many hole oraffices we have

[lastliberalintexas]

5. Believe it or not, most judges

allow the teens to have the abortion, regardless of their party affiliation. It all depends on the system that's in place, though. In Texas, the system is closed to public scrutiny, both for the protection of the minor and the teen. Our judges are elected, and would face incredible scrutiny from the right wingers if it was known Judge X allowed someone to "kill her baby". Which is of course also why the right wingers are trying to change this system, so that judges have to make their rulings in open court and the teen is confined to seeking the ruling from a local judge instead of any district judge in the state.

That said, I still do not agree with parental notification laws. I understand the concerns on both sides, and it is a difficult issue. I don't have a daughter, but I'd want my son and his girlfriend to feel comfortable speaking with me and getting help in terminating a pregnancy or not. But I also understand that the majority of girls who do not feel comfortable speaking with a parent are probably the ones who are in some sort of abusive household, or whose parents would try to force them to continue the pregnancy against their will.

As I said, it's a difficult situation. So I'll side with the pregnant girl/young woman, and take it for granted that she probably knows better than anyone else whether she should continue her pregnancy or not. And I'll leave it up to the doctors to see that she gets the best medical care possible, whatever her decision.

[Betsy Ross]

3. Does this have a "no exceptions" clause?

This is always a big issue where a young girl is sexually abused by her father. Then require he approves an abortion? Ha Ha.

[NNguyenMD]

4. I wonder how the niece of the great JFK feels about her husband now

[hang a left]

6. I think that the motivation here is...

to get as many people that would "supposedly" support Nazinegger's proposals. Let us not forget the voting machines. They want to make sure that there is a "cover" for yet another stolen election.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

7. When Are WE Going to Learn How to Play This Game?

I generally see no activity sponsored by Dems on the initiative front. We need to get smart about this.

DTH

[Democat]

10. California Democrats seem to still be stunned by the recall

They just don't seem to understand what the Republicans are trying to do.

It's like a nationwide disease that elected Democrats have - it makes them willing to give up all of their power and also makes them too dumb to fight when they are being attacked.