Two states have pro-life amendments under way, as Mississippi gets set to launch another petition drive for a Personhood Amendment -- and Florida prepares to vote on a proposed pro-life constitutional amendment on Tuesday.
Mississippi's Amendment 26 failed to gain voter approval in last November's election, but that won't stop a renewed effort. Les Riley of Personhood Mississippi tells OneNewsNow the group actually started working on a new campaign the day after the 2011 election.
"The main job has been researching and listening to what voters had to say, what their objections were [to Amendment 26]," he describes. "We're working on another amendment that will address all the concerns that people had, but still protect all children."
That's because in the weeks preceding the 2012 election, Planned Parenthood and even then Governor Haley Barbour confused the issues related to the amendment, according to Riley.
"They said that it would ban birth control and all kinds of other craziness to try to scare people," Riley explains. "Because, you know, Planned Parenthood didn't want people to have an up-or-down vote on banning abortion -- because they knew if they did they would have voted to stop abortion in our state."
According to Mississippi law, a constitutional amendment that fails cannot return to the ballot for two years. Riley hopes to make an announcement soon on launching a new petition drive in early 2013 to put a revised Personhood Amendment on a 2014 ballot.
And in The Sunshine State ...
In a campaign similar to Mississippi's recent campaign for the Personhood Amendment, Florida is presenting the pro-life Amendment 6 for a vote on the 2012 ballot. Yes on 6 Campaign manager Jim Frankowiak tells OneNewsNow the measure has the usual list of opponents, including Planned Parenthood and the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. He explains what the amendment would do for the pro-life cause in Florida.
"We want to align Florida law with federal law," he says. "That means no government funds for abortion or health benefit coverage of an abortion. And perhaps of even greater importance is opening the door to future legislation that would restore parental consent for abortion involving a minor female."
At present, Florida does not require parental consent in such cases.
"So a young lady under the age of 18 does not have to tell her parents or guardian if she plans to have an abortion," Frankowiak remarks. "Current law does not require parental notification. It takes 60 percent of the vote in Florida for approval of a constitutional amendment."
Florida's Amendment 6 has been endorsed by many people, including former Governor Jeb Bush, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, the Florida Baptist Convention and Florida Family Action.
Contact: Charlie Butts
Source: OneNewsNow.com
