Supporters of a failed initiative to require minors to notify a
parent before getting an abortion are pushing to get a similar
measure on the November ballot.
Supporters of a failed initiative to require minors to notify a parent before getting an abortion are pushing to get a similar measure on the November ballot.
Last November, Proposition 73 passed in 33 counties, but failed overall, winning 47.2 percent of the vote. Of the eight ballot measures contested in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s unsuccessful special election, Proposition 73 won the most votes.
“Given the peculiarity of that election, we thought it would be foolish not to put it forward in a regular election,” said Albin Rhomberg, spokesman for Parents’ Right to Know. “We weren’t interested in being tied to his election but we were on the ballot. We got put on a train that got in a train wreck.”
Rhomberg said the measure was intended for the June 2006 ballot, but was forced on the November 2005 ballot when Schwarzenegger called the special election. This year, he said supporters will do more to combat an active opposition campaign led by Planned Parenthood.
Opponents of the measure argue that forcing teenagers to notify a parent or guardian before getting an abortion is potentially dangerous and unhealthy for young women.
“Parental notification laws put teenagers at risk,” said Katie Desmond, of Planned Parenthood Mar Monte. “Most teenagers do involve one of their parents. Those who don’t probably have a good reason. Violence, or fear of violence, pushes them to not seek the care they need in a timely matter, or, God forbid, take matters into their own hands.”
More than 30 states have laws requiring minors to notify or get consent from parents before getting an abortion. California has one, but it was declared unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.
The effect of those laws is not well known, but a study of six states published in the New York Times suggested they have virtually no impact on abortion rates.
Opponents of the measure argue that forcing teenagers to notify a parent or guardian before getting an abortion is potentially dangerous and unhealthy for young women.
