While the Presidential election has naturally garnered the majority of the media’s and the public’s attention, there are also critical races and issues being considered in the states. Five states, California, Colorado, Michigan, South Dakota, and Washington are considering ballot initiatives that directly implicate important life issues: abortion, biotechnologies, and the end-of-life.
California Proposition 4: Parental Notice
Proposition 4, or the “Abortion Waiting Period and Parental Notification Initiative” (also known to its supporters as “Sarah’s Law”), will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot in California. Proposition 4 proposes a new amendment to the California Constitution that would ensure that parents are notified (and involved) when their minor daughters are considering abortion by requiring abortion providers to notify the minor’s parent, legal guardian, or, if parental abuse has been reported, an alternative family member. Once the parent or guardian is notified, the provider may not perform an abortion on the minor for 48 hours.
In addition, the initiative mandates that abortion providers report statistical information about all abortions (including abortions on minors) to state officials, requires the minor’s non-coerced consent for an abortion, and authorizes monetary damages against physicians if any portion of the new law is violated.
For more information, click here.
Colorado Proposition 48: Human Life Amendment
Proposition 48, the “Colorado Equal Rights Amendment,” proposes amending the Colorado Constitution to define “person” to “include any human being from the moment of fertilization.” This definition of “personhood” would apply to specific sections of the Colorado Constitution and would inform future actions take by the State, the state government, and state officials.
For more information, click here
Michigan Proposal 2: Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
The “Stem Cell Initiative,” also known as “CureMichigan,” will appear on the November 4, 2008 ballot as Proposal 2. This amendment would allow unregulated and unrestricted destruction of human embryos for research purposes. It would also allow government funding for research on human embryos produced in fertility clinics and could open the door for the legalization of human cloning.
Proposal 2 would drastically alter existing Michigan law. Michigan currently prohibits “nontherapeutic research” on a “live human embryo, fetus, or neonate,” fetal experimentation, and human cloning.
For more information, click here (PDF, pages 14-16).
South Dakota Initiated Measure 11: Abortion Ban
An abortion ban initiative, known as “Initiated Measure 11,” will appear on the November 2008 ballot in South Dakota as a constitutional amendment. If voters approve it, the South Dakota Constitution would ban all abortions except for those performed in cases of rape or incest, or when pregnancy severely endangers the woman’s life or health. Anyone performing an abortion in violation of the amendment could be charged with a Class 4 felony, which in South Dakota carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in jail and a $20,000 fine.
For more information, click here (PDF, page 8).
Washington Initiative 1000: Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide
Washington Initiative 1000, also known as “I-1000,” purports to give “mentally competent, terminally ill adults, medically-predicted to die within six months,” the legal choice to request and self-administer a lethal overdose of medication prescribed by a physician. The measure requires two oral and one written requests by the patient, two physicians to diagnose the patient and determine the patient is competent, a waiting period, and physician verification of the patient decision. Physicians, patients, and others acting in “good faith compliance” with the measure would not face criminal or civil liability.
For more information, click here.
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Help us stop Assisted Suicide from becoming law in Washington. If it passes here, the Hemlock society will push for Assisted suicide in other states.
Polls show it’s a dead heat! Help the NO on Initiative 1000 side to win by giving money for advertising.
To donate, go here: https://ssl22.pair.com/stshore/contribute_suicide.html .
Please spread the word and help us to raise funds.