Parents Right to Know Initiative

If its supporters have their way, the Parents' Right to Know Initiative will make it to the June 2006 ballot.  If passed the initiative would require doctors to give 48-hours notice to a parent or guardian before performing an abortion on a minor.

Proponents need to gather 598,000 valid signatures from registered California voters by mid-April 2005 in order to qualify the initiative for the ballot.  As of February 21, 2005, 635,341 had been gathered.  To ensure a sufficient number of valid signatures of registered voters, supporters need to acquire an additional 265,000 signatures before the April 14, 2005 deadline.

More information is available online at http://www.parentsright2know.org/pages/1/index.htm. Copies of the initiative text are there, as well as church bulletin resources and flyers.

Comments

[Nancy Brown]

Is there such a thing as a "Father's Right to Know Bill"? I think the father of the child should have some say in the decision.

[Teresa Polk]

The bill provides that one parent or guardian will be informed, not necessarily both parents. There is good and bad in that.

If the mother has custody, the bill does not require anyone to inform the father. Perhaps like Nancy, I am aware that a minor over 14 may well choose to live with the parent who is most lenient, and that may mean that the parent more likely to be informed is the one most likely to consent, while the parent with more traditional values is less likely to be told beforehand.

On the other hand, the bill at least provides that if someone other than the parents has custody (for example, if the grandparents have custody), the notice will be given to parents or guardian. When a child is living with grandparents, it is likely that the grandparents would be told of the planned abortion and would have a chance to stop it from happening even though they are not the parents.

People in California could easily ask their priests to allow people to gather signatures for this petition after mass on an appropriate Saturday and Sunday. There is time left to choose an appropriate Sunday. Palm Sunday and Easter may not be considered proper. If this coming Sunday does not provide enough time for planning, then there are 2 Sundays after Easter before the deadline.