Monday, May 04, 2009

Gov. Palin Backs Citizens' Vote on Abortion Restrictions

Voters, not lawmakers, would decide if doctors had to tell a parent of a girl younger than 18.

-- From "Governor supports abortion initiative" by Sean Cockerham, Anchorage Daily News 5/3/09

The initiative sponsors, including former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman, applied last week to start gathering signatures. The measure would generally forbid a girl under 18 from getting an abortion unless the doctor informed at least one of her parents beforehand.

Palin said she plans to be the first in line to sign up. The governor said she even considered sponsoring the initiative herself, but decided otherwise after checking with the state's lawyers.

The prime sponsors of the "parental involvement" initiative are former lieutenant governor Leman, recent Anchorage school board candidate Mia Costello, and Kim Hummer-Minnery, whose husband is president of the Alaska Family Council, a Christian pro-family, anti-abortion group that is supporting the effort.

The abortion rights group Planned Parenthood will oppose the initiative.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.