Proposition 73, which would have required parental notification
before a minor could get an abortion, was rejected by a slim margin
Tuesday
– a result politicos on both sides say stems not from the
hot-button topic of abortion, but from voters’ underlying concern
for their children.
Hollister – Proposition 73, which would have required parental notification before a minor could get an abortion, was rejected by a slim margin Tuesday – a result politicos on both sides say stems not from the hot-button topic of abortion, but from voters’ underlying concern for their children.
“Of course all parents rightfully want to be involved in their teen’s lives, and at first it sounds like a good idea,” said Katie Desmond, public affairs director for Planned Parenthood Marmonte of San Benito and Santa Clara counties. “But voters were able to understand it puts California’s most vulnerable teenagers at risk.”
The initiative would have amended the state’s constitution to prohibit an abortion for a minor until 48 hours after a doctor notified the child’s parents or legal guardian.
Desmond doesn’t believe the vote, which ended with 52.6 percent of Californians voting no, was close because it revolved around the emotional and often divided issue of abortion. San Benito County’s vote tallied at 53.4 percent voting no while 46.6 percent were in favor.
Desmond believes that many voters identified with the issue of wanting to know what’s going on in their children’s lives – not that they wanted to take a stab at women’s rights to choose in general.
“I don’t think it was necessarily an indication of (anti-abortion) support. If you support Prop. 73 it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re anti-choice,” she said. “I think most people were really genuinely concerned as parents and genuinely concerned about teenagers.”
San Benito County Republican Central Committee Chairwoman Jennifer Zapata also said the thrust of Proposition 73 didn’t necessarily revolve around the overlying issue of abortion – but of parents’ rights to be legally involved in serious matters concerning their daughters’ health.
Zapata was disappointed the initiative failed and believes the rejection came from opponents” sending misinformation to the public.
“Similar laws have been passed in other states and have actually been effective in reducing the amount of teen abortions,” Zapata said. “But there was a perception that the teens might be in danger if they told their parents. They (opponents) expressed there were a lot of bad families out there and if teens told their parents they might be in danger. My philosophy is there are more good families than bad families. It really focused on the family and the different perceptions of caring families versus uncaring families.”
But San Benito County Democratic Central Committee Chairwoman Jeanie Wallace said voters’ decisions weren’t due to being misinformed, but showed sophistication in their understanding that some girls find themselves in difficult situations and it is not for the public to decide where individual teens find support.
She also agreed with Desmond’s claims that those trying to restrict abortion laws realize they will be more successful if they first start restricting access to minors and work their way up the legal chain.
“There are a lot of people who think abortion is wrong under all circumstances and they welcome any opportunity that prevents some girls from having an abortion,” Wallace said. “For those people this was another opportunity for prevention and intervention. I think the voters have said, we, as a state, don’t have a right to be dictating those decisions.”
Desmond also believes that parts of the initiative were some anti-choice extremists’ attempt to slip flagrant language into the state constitution. Proposition 73 also would have amended language in the constitution – redefining abortion as causing “death of the unborn child, a child conceived but not yet born.”
“Generally I think people support a woman’s right to protect her health and safety and her right to choose. But anti-choice extremists are very smart. They know they can’t have a full-scale referendum on a woman’s right to choose,” she said. “They’re using these issues to chip away slowly at the fundamental rights.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
