Newspapers Examine Future Of Antiabortion Measures Defeated In Election

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 07 Nov 2008 - 5:00 PST

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Following the defeat of antiabortion ballot measures in California, Colorado and South Dakota in Tuesday's election, several newspapers examined the future of such initiatives and whether their proponents will take them up again.

California

Although Tuesday's election marked the third time since 2005 that California voters rejected a parental notification measure, supporters of the initiative are "[u]ndeterred" and "say a fourth attempt at the ballot box is inevitable," the Los Angeles Times reports (Bailey/Rothfeld, Los Angeles Times, 11/6). Final results released Thursday morning showed voters defeated Proposition 4 by 52% to 48%, according to the California Secretary of State (Secretary of State Web site, 11/6). The measure would have required health care providers to notify a minor's parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours before providing abortion services to the minor (Nieves, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 11/5). In addition, the latest version of the measure expanded liability of doctors who provided abortion services to minors and added a limited option for minors to notify another adult relative if they feared abuse (Fernandez, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/5).

The margin of defeat was slightly smaller than in previous elections, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports. In 2005, 54% voted against a similar measure, while 56% voted against it in 2006 (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 11/5). Don Sebastiani, a winemaker who financed Prop. 4, said, "The only questions are exactly when, exactly where and exactly how" supporters will try again (Los Angeles Times, 11/6). Albin Rhomberg, a spokesperson for the Yes on 4 campaign, said, "We intend to go right ahead and try again on several fronts, including the initiative front. We know that there is strong support for it. We feel we raised a very important issue and are determined to keep raising it."

Meanwhile, opponents of Prop. 4 hope its latest defeat will end future attempts at requiring parental notification. Pratima Gupta, a San Francisco ob-gyn and member of Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health, said, "I believe that California voters are not interested in this sort of thing" (San Francisco Chronicle, 11/5). Kathy Kneer -- president of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, which funded and organized opposition to Prop. 4 -- said the measure's repeated defeat signals that voters do not believe it is designed to protect young women's health and safety, as proponents have claimed. "Third time and they're out," Kneer said, adding that voters realized the measure is largely designed to restrict legal abortion (AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 11/5).


Colorado

Despite the wide margin of defeat for Amendment 48 -- which would have defined a fertilized egg as a person in the state constitution -- Kristi Burton of the Yes on 48 campaign said supporters plan to attempt the initiative in several other states. Voters rejected the measure by 73% to 27%. "We were successful in bringing this issue before the nation," Burton said (Wood, Christian Science Monitor, 11/6). She added, "Just getting our message out there was important. We're going to push forward with personhood. There are other states that want to try this." However, Fofi Mendez, director of the No on 48 campaign, said, "We're thrilled by such a resounding defeat of this measure. It was a non-starter here, and it will be in other states." Opponents of the measure said defining a fertilized egg as a person would not only ban abortion but restrict legal contraception, in vitro fertilization, termination of ectopic pregnancies and create a "bonanza of litigation," the Denver Post reports (Draper, Denver Post, 11/5).

South Dakota

Although South Dakota voters rejected a second attempt to ban virtually all abortions in the state by 55% to 45%, Jan Nicolay -- spokesperson for the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families -- said proponents of the initiative are likely to attempt a ban again. Antiabortion groups first proposed the measure in 2006 in the form of an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, incest or the health of the woman. Voters rejected that measure by 56% to 44%. Proponents had said the inclusion of narrow exceptions in the latest attempt at the ban would increase support for the measure, but that was not the case. Nonetheless, Nicolay said she expects legislation further restricting abortion to be introduced during the 2009 state legislative session. Sam Casey, an attorney for VoteYesForLife.com, said that South Dakota already is one of the most restrictive states on abortion procedures and that there is little else the group can do to make access to abortion more difficult in the state (Wolski, BNA, 11/6). Sarah Stoesz -- president of Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota -- said that voters this year "started thinking about what it might mean for a woman or a family to be confronted with a serious decision, and at the end of the day came to conclude this was not the place for government interference." She added, "The implications for our movement nationally are quite profound" (Kessler, Washington Post, 11/6).

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