Alaska Gov. Palin Voices Support For Parental Involvement Ballot Measure

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health;  Women's Health / Gynecology
Article Date: 06 May 2009 - 5:00 PST

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Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) expressed support for a ballot measure that would require parental "notice or consent" before a minor could have an abortion in the state, the Anchorage Daily News reports. The measure, sponsored by former Lt. Gov. Loren Leman (R), would require a 48-hour waiting period after a parent is notified. Minors could bypass the parental notification or consent requirement by obtaining court permission or if there is a medical emergency. According to the Daily News, the ballot initiative's sponsors developed the measure after a state Senate bill (S.B. 6) that would have required parental consent stalled. Palin blamed the "inflexibility by some senators" for the bill not passing, adding that minors should have their parents' advice when making abortion-related decisions. According to the Daily News, the ballot initiative's sponsors can begin collecting signatures after Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell certifies the ballot language as legal. The sponsors need to collect 32,734 signatures before the legislative session starts in January to put the initiative on the ballot for the August 2010 primary election.

Planned Parenthood plans to oppose the ballot measure. Clover Simon, executive director of Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest, said some minors could face unhealthy family situations that might lead them to take dangerous steps to avoid discussing an abortion with their parents. "I'm afraid that young women in that situation are going to see this, and they're just not going to get any help at all and they are going to take things into their own hand[s]," Simon said.

Palin said she considered sponsoring the ballot measure herself, but decided against it after consulting with state lawyers. According to Alaska law, a governor cannot spend money or "provide anything of value" to influence the outcome of a ballot measure unless the Legislature appropriates money for that purpose. State election officials are investigating whether Palin's support of a ballot measure last summer violated the law. Palin said that instead of sponsoring the new ballot measure, she will "volunteer to be the first signature," adding, "I will not hesitate to speak up in support of Alaska's daughters."

Jim Minnery, president of the Christian antiabortion-rights group Alaska Family Council, said that the ultimate goal of the initiative's supporters is to enact a state law requiring parental permission before minors can undergo abortion procedures. The Alaska Supreme Court two years ago ruled that a parental consent law was unconstitutional. Chief Justice Dana Fabe wrote that a law requiring notification but not consent would likely not pose constitutional problems (Cockerham, Anchorage Daily News, 5/3).

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