Antiabortion-Rights Groups Announce Plan To Oppose Proposed Nevada 'Personhood' Ballot Measure

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 20 Nov 2009 - 5:00 PST

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The leaders of four antiabortion-rights groups on Tuesday announced that they will band together to oppose a proposed ballot measure that seeks to amend Nevada's Constitution to define people as "everyone possessing a human genome" from the moment of conception, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports. The leaders of Nevada Life, Nevada Eagle Forum, Nevada Families and the Independent American Party said that the measure's language is weak and that it would not change abortion practices under existing federal law.

In a statement, the groups said, "It will end up giving unlimited power to the courts to perpetuate and expand the disastrous effects of Roe v. Wade and will interfere further with any legislative efforts to stop abortion." Janine Hansen, president of Nevada Eagle Forum, said, "We feel it's counterproductive," adding, "When something is vague and undefined, ... we can anticipate that it will be enjoined in the courts, and the courts will decide what it means."

Conservative advocate Richard Ziser, who filed the ballot measure last month, was not available for comment. Last week, the American Civil Liberties Union and Planned Parenthood filed a legal challenge to the ballot measure (Chereb, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 11/17).

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