Supporters, Opponents of Proposition 73 Look to Other States With Parental Notification Laws
Supporters and opponents to Proposition 73 are both "using the experience of other states" to strengthen their campaigns, Los Angeles Times reports (Warren, Los Angeles Times, 11/2).
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, 10/31).
The Times article focuses on Texas, which has a diverse population much like California, although 44 other states have a form of parental notification law for abortions.
Supporters of Proposition 73 say the Texas law "has been a resounding success" and has decreased the number of teen abortions and ensured parents that they "have a legal role in their daughters' reproductive lives," the Times reports.
However, critics attribute the reduction in abortions to other factors, such as greater access to emergency contraception, more girls traveling to Mexico or bordering states for abortions and a downward trend in abortions that had already begun (Los Angeles Times, 11/2).
Additional information on Proposition 73 is available online.