Surprise! Nevada Judge Says "Personhood" Initiative Proponents Misleading on Initiative Language

UPDATE: Yesterday, District Judge James Wilson ruled that another personhood petition, this one from Personhood Nevada, was so vague that it cannot be circulated among voters. “Wilson said state law requires the purpose of a petition must be clear so that voters understand what they are signing.” The article is telling in its depiction of Personhood USA’s lawyer refusing to answer specific questions from the judge about what the actual policy impact of the initiative would be.

As long as “personhood” has been around, we’ve been talking about all of its implications, which typically include banning all abortion care including instances of rape, incest, and fetal abnormality, and potentially outlawing in vitro fertilization as well as some of the most common forms of birth control, including the pill and IUDs. All of our featured Chumps, including Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry have come out in favor of “personhood”.

Personhood proponents and supporters either change the subject or outright deny the full impact of what it would do.

Well, now a judge in Nevada is telling personhood proponents in that state that they can no longer hide the ball from the voters, and is requiring them to speak accurately about the potential impact of their initiative.

Yesterday, Carson City District Judge James Wilson ordered that a Nevada “personhood” initiative, be rewritten to include the potential ramifications of the proposed constitutional change, for instance, restrictions on common birth control methods, in vitro fertilization treatment, and embryonic stem cell research.

Here’s what the Court ordered personhood proponents to put on their initiative petitions:

“The initiative would . . . prevent all abortions even in the case of rape, incest, or serious threats to the woman’s health or life, or even when a woman is suffering from a miscarriage, or as an emergency treatment for an ectopic pregnancy. The initiative will impact some rights Nevada women currently have to utilize some forms of birth control, including the “pill;” and to access certain fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization. The initiative will affect embryonic stem cell research, which offers potential for treating diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, and others.”

Personhood USA is spinning it as a victory, but the reality is it’s a huge smackdown for anti-women’s health forces who seek to pass their agenda without having to talk about what it actually means for women and their families.

So, despite the country’s focus on bringing back jobs, the anti-women’s health crowd is insisting on promoting a policy that voters have overwhelmingly rejected, while being misleading about what it actually does. We can’t wait for 2012 to get started.

Tags: personhood, GOP