Proposed Mont. Amendment That Would Have Defined Person As Beginning At Fertilization Fails

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 30 Jun 2008 - 1:00 PST

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A proposed antiabortion amendment to the Montana Constitution that would have defined a fertilized human egg as a "person" failed to gather enough signatures to be placed on the November ballot, the Montana'sNewsStation.com reports (Montana'sNewsStation.com, 6/25). The proposed amendment would have defined a person as "a human being at all stages of human development or life, including the state of fertilization."

Montana state Rep. Rick Jore, the state's only Constitution Party member, in November 2007 submitted language for the proposed antiabortion initiative to the secretary of state's office. According to Jore, the measure would not have directly outlawed abortion but would have established constitutional rights for a fetus or human embryo so they could not be deprived of "life, liberty and property" without due process of law (Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 1/3).

To be placed on the November ballot, the initiative required signatures from 44,000 registered Montana voters. Supporters of the amendment gathered less than 22,000 signatures, the Montana'sNewsStation.com reports. Opponents of the measure said the proposed initiative would have complicated health care for all women (Montana'sNewsStation.com, 6/25).

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