Missouri Antiabortion Groups Revise Ballot Proposal Aimed At Restricting Abortion

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 05 Mar 2008 - 7:00 PDT

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Missouri antiabortion groups recently revised a ballot proposal that aims to restrict abortions in the state, prompting a new legal challenge backed by Planned Parenthood, the AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

The revised proposal would make it an act of "medical negligence" to perform an abortion or provide an abortion referral without evaluating the woman for risk factors and documenting that the risks are either insignificant or less than the risks of continuing the pregnancy. Under the proposal, a woman who receives an abortion and later regrets the decision can sue physicians or nurses for $10,000, alleging they failed to screen her for risk factors and inform her of possible complications associated with the procedure.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region officials said the proposal is "purposely deceptive and vaguely written" and could lead to a ban on abortions except to save the life or health of the woman. In addition, the measure could make physicians reluctant to perform certain abortions out of concern they could later be sued, PPSLR officials said.

The new lawsuit -- filed Monday by St. Louis resident and Planned Parenthood supporter Mary Hickey -- claims that a ballot summary prepared by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan (D) understates the proposal's "far-reaching legal changes" and "thus is likely to deceive and mislead voters." Carnahan's ballot summary says the proposal would "make it illegal" for physicians to perform an abortion "without extensive and documented emotional, psychological, physical, situational and demographic evaluations" except to prevent immediate death or harm to the woman.

David Reardon, the author of the measure and director of the Elliot Institute, revised his original proposal with the aim of receiving a more favorable ballot summary from Carnahan, according to the AP/Post-Dispatch. Carnahan last month approved the new proposal, which Reardon submitted through the group Stop Forced Abortions Alliance.

Reardon said the new proposal would not make abortions illegal but would allow civil lawsuits. He added that the proposal does not prohibit physicians from performing elective abortions but does require them to explain all the potential risks to women seeking the procedure. However, Paula Gianino, president and CEO of PPSLR, said, "What it really is is a wolf in sheep's clothing that we believe is an attempt to take away a woman's right to make this decision and to really compromise the doctor-patient relationship."

Reardon said supporters of the proposal plan to begin gathering signatures despite the new challenge. If the proposal is revised in court, all signatures collected would be invalid, the AP/Post-Dispatch reports. Supporters have until May 3 to submit signatures to Carnahan's office (AP/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 3/4).

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