Anti-birth control petition filed

An anti-abortion group has filed a new initiative petition after complying with a state judge’s instruction to make its language more understandable to the public. The petition, if approved by voters, would amend the Nevada Constitution.

The first version, filed on Sept. 22, conferred rights “from the beginning of biological development until death” but never mentioned birth control, abortion or invitro fertilization. Nevada District Judge James Wilson upheld the legality of the petition but said its description of the measure’s effects were inadequate in informing potential signers. He rewrote the language in terms the sponsors would not accept, so they withdrew the first petition on Dec. 30 and wrote a new one, which was filed on Jan. 9.

The first petition was called the “Personhood initiative” and the new petition is called the “Prenatal personhood initiative.” The wording states that “hormonal birth control” will be outlawed if the petition is approved by voters and that it would define abortion as “fetal homicide.”

Several procedures that “intentionally kill … a prenatal person” would be outlawed. These include embryonic stem cell “or other scientific research,”invitro fertilization and assisted reproduction.

A description that would not be a part of the law says the proposed constitutional amendment would provide due process and equal protection under the law to “prenatal persons.”

The new petition can be read at http://nvsos.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2224 .