Antiabortion-Rights Group Pushes 'Personhood' Ballot Measures In Several States

Main Category: Abortion
Also Included In: Women's Health / Gynecology;  Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 16 Sep 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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The antiabortion-rights group Personhood USA is leading petition drives in Colorado, Mississippi, Montana and Nevada in support of proposed ballot initiatives that would define fertilized eggs as people under the states' constitutions, the AP/Wichita Eagle reports. The group is also expected to file proposed language for similar ballot initiatives in California and Florida this month. According to the AP/Eagle, the group has chapters in 29 states working to get personhood amendments on 2010 ballots or before state legislatures.

Last year, Colorado became the first state where a so-called "personhood" amendment made the ballot. The amendment was "soundly defeated," with 73% of voters opposing the measure, the AP/Eagle reports. Because the amendment was rejected by such a large margin, abortion-rights supporters are unsure of how much time and money to invest in fighting the latest effort. Emilie Ailts, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, said, "For us, you do scratch your head and say, 'How often do we need to fight this?'" Crystal Clinkenbeard -- a spokesperson for a state coalition that led opposition to the 2008 ballot initiative -- said that the group will monitor how many signatures Personhood USA collects. "They are planning on coming back time and again, and we'll be there to fight them," Clinkenbeard said, adding, "But at this point we can't say how much we're going to do."

Abortion-rights supporters say that defining eggs as people would have legal ramifications beyond abortion, including for fertility treatments. They also warn that pregnant women could face criminal child abuse charges for failing to seek prenatal care.

Keith Mason, a Personhood USA leader, acknowledged that the personhood campaign in Colorado is likely to fail again in 2010. He added that the approach is helping to raise awareness about the legal protections that the group believes that unborn fetuses should have.

However, not all antiabortion-rights groups have endorsed the personhood amendment campaigns and bills. According to the AP/Eagle, Catholic bishops in Colorado, Montana and North Dakota, as well as the National Right to Life Committee have suggested that the efforts are a "roundabout way of challenging abortion rights" (Wyatt, AP/Wichita Eagle, 9/13).

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