Church Campaigns Address Parental Notification Measure
The Los Angeles Times on Monday examined efforts by supporters and opponents of Proposition 73 to promote their campaigns in "a place not routinely associated with California politics -- their neighborhood church" (Warren, Los Angeles Times, 11/7).
Proposition 73 would amend the state constitution to require health care providers to inform a parent or guardian 48 hours before performing an abortion on an unmarried minor. Under the measure, a girl could seek a judicial bypass and would receive no-cost legal counsel, a confidential hearing and a ruling within three days on whether she could receive an abortion without notifying her parents (California Healthline, 11/4).
Campaigns at churches on Sunday included Yes on 73 fliers in church bulletins, No on 73 information tables and a DVD featuring teenage actresses urging a "yes" vote on the measure, the Times reports (Los Angeles Times, 11/7).
The Sacramento Bee on Saturday looked at the "strong -- and sharply divided -- opinions" on Proposition 73 held by those younger than 18, "the demographic that [the measure] would arguably affect most" (Ranganathan, Sacramento Bee, 11/5).
Two newspapers on Sunday looked at doctors' opinions of Proposition 73. Headlines appear below.
- "States Offer Preview of Abortion Law" (Gilmour, Oakland Tribune, 11/6).
- "Something to Talk About" (Bernhard/Martindale, Orange County Register, 11/6).
Summaries of editorials addressing Proposition 73 appear below.
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Fresno Bee: "Legislation cannot force communication" and "[m]any pregnant teens simply do not have a competent, caring parent they can turn to," a Fresno Bee editorial states. The editorial continues, "The fact is, without any law forcing communication, a majority of pregnant teens already talk to their parents voluntarily, especially younger teens" (Fresno Bee, 11/6).
- Ventura County Star: It is important for parents and daughters to "feel comfortable" having a conversation "about contraception or an unintended pregnancy," but "it is not a conversation the government should force them to have," a Star editorial states. Evidence from other states with parental notification laws shows that "many pregnant girls, with the means to do so, go to states without notification laws to get abortions," according to the Star. The Star recommends a "no" vote on Proposition 73 (Ventura County Star, 11/4).
KPBS' "KPBS News" on Friday reported on how opponents of Proposition 73 believe that the measure's definition of abortion could restrict stem cell research programs in the state. The segment includes comments from Evan Snyder, director of the Stem Cells and Regeneration Program at the Burnham Institute (Goldberg, "KPBS News," KPBS, 11/4). The complete transcript is available online. The complete segment is available online in RealPlayer.
Additional information on Proposition 73 is available online.