Nevada personhood ballot measure rewritten by Judge

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
12/21/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Nevada initiative would prevent all abortions even in the case of rape, incest or health of mother

A district judge ruled that Nevada's personhood ballot measure was misleading to voters. The judge has rewritten the initiative.

Similar personhood measures are ongoing in the state of Mississippi and elsewhere.

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LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - As filed by the Nevada Prolife Coalition, the personhood initiative would amend the state constitution to protect "the unalienable right to life of every prenatal person" at all stages of biological development.

Under Nevada law, all initiatives need to be accompanied by an explanation of their effects to help voters make informed decisions. However -- the Nevada Prolife Coalition's official explanation of the measure only discusses its effects on the legality of abortion.

Both medical and legal experts say that granting unborn children legal personhood would have far-reaching legal consequences even beyond the issue of abortion. Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union challenged the Nevada personhood measure last October, claiming it was misleading to voters because it did not list the measure's full ramifications.

"Nevadans deserve to know that this initiative seeks to outlaw women's health services like abortion, the birth control pill and treatment for complicated pregnancies, just to name a few," Elisa Cafferata, president and CEO of Nevada Advocates for Planned Parenthood Affiliates said in a statement. "Nearly 20 years ago Nevada voters affirmed the tenets of Roe vs. Wade and a woman's right to privacy. Nevadans do not support interfering in women's personal and private decision making."

The president of Personhood USA Keith Mason said Planned Parenthood's statements about the effects of the initiative were not true.

"It only affects those procedures in as much as they kill an innocent person; it does not ban those things at all," he said.

Nevada District Judge James E. Wilson sided with the plaintiffs this week, determining that Nevada Prolife Coalition's description of effect "is inadequate" to inform voters. Wilson didn't rule the measure illegal, but ordered the Nevada Prolife Coalition to substitute the following language into the initiative before it starts collecting signatures:

The initiative would protect a prenatal person regardless of whether or not the prenatal person would live, grow, or develop in the womb or survive birth; prevent all abortions even in the case of rape, incest, or serious threats to the woman's health or life, or when a woman is suffering from a miscarriage, or as an emergency treatment for an ectopic pregnancy.

The initiative will impact some rights Nevada women currently have to access certain fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization. The initiative will impact some rights Nevada women currently have to utilize some forms of birth control, including the "pill;" and to access certain fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization. The initiative will affect embryonic stem cell research, which offers potential for treating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, and others.

The Nevada Prolife Coalition has to collect 72,352 valid signatures by June to get the measure on next year's ballot.

� 2011, Catholic Online. Distributed by NEWS CONSORTIUM.

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General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
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Keywords: Personhood, Nevada, abortion, Right to Life, Personhood amendment

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1 - 4 of 4 Comments

JeanCatherine
1 year ago
I disagree personhood amendment would enhance a women and man's status of equality and their dignity of life. It would protect one from being a 3rd class anything.

See Norma McKorvey storey. She changed her mind on abortion. Makes one wonder????
techwreck
1 year ago
Kathy, I wonder why your remark are all about the mother and not about the child (fetus is a stage in the development of a human being). I agree there are some legitimate concerns about the law interfering with the treatment of women with medical emergencies connected with pregnancy. But, there are also some legitimate concerns about the indiscriminate killing of children. Your post doesn't mention those concerns or medical ethics. Perhaps you could tell us your views about the rights of the child and mother.
Rockerbabe01
1 year ago
I agree with Kathy on this matter. Also, this personhood amendment could outlaw treatments for cancer, lupus, diabetes, MS and dialysis because these treatments, while necessary to sustain the life of the woman, are often harmful to fetus. Waiting is not an option if the woman is to survive. No woman, no future opportunities for children or the ability to raise the children already born. Personhoold amendments do nothing but turn women into 3rd class citizens. It seems everyone is entitled to personhood, but the pregnant woman herself. What a shame and the disrespect for women inherent in these measures is disgusting.
Kathy
1 year ago
These "personhood" initiatives and ballot measures are, indeed, misleading. They can be used to harass women who have spontaneously aborted (the correct term for a miscarriage, FWI). The state could investigate the woman's lifestyle and decide if it was detrimental to the fetus. Please be aware that many pregnancies end in a spontaneous abortion before the woman is even aware she is pregnant.
It could also have a detrimental effect on a woman who has an ectopic pregnancy, as the ONLY remedy for that deadly occurrence is an abortion.
It seems we want less government EXCEPT for women's health-care issues--then we want the government VERY involved!

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