Republican Majority for Choice on the Potential Personhood Amendment

The Republican Majority for Choice issued this press release on Friday about the new egg-mendment:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bethany Vensel 703-739-8905
February 12, 2010

The Politics of Personhood: Bad for the Country and Bad for the GOP

Denver, Colorado - The Republican Majority for Choice, the largest social moderate organization in the GOP, joined with the RMC Colorado in condemning the so-called 'personhood' amendment. The coalition behind the proposition has submitted the required signatures to the Secretary of State who will review to determine if the personhood question will appear on November's ballot.

"Today marks a setback in our state's efforts to overcome the wave of big government intrusion and waste sweeping our nation," said Amanda Mountjoy, RMC Colorado Chair. "The problem with the 'personhood' amendment lies in its fundamental contradiction. It poses as a measure designed to protect basic rights. In fact, personhood would violate the rights of Colorado women by granting competing rights to a fertilized egg, and would put government smack dab in the middle of medical decisions ranging from birth control, to in-vitro fertilization, to miscarriages, and abortion."

Though this ballot questions was soundly defeated by 73% of Colorado voters in the last election, the organization Personhood Colorado will attempt to place the question on the ballot again this November. If enough valid signatures are approved the question will be put to the voters. If passed, 'personhood' would change the state Constitution to give competing rights to a fertilized egg separate from the woman who carries the egg.

"As Republicans, we cannot sit by while single-issue fundamentalists dramatically change our state constitution. We are already disheartened over the creation of new big government bureaucracies in Washington, DC. We will not allow those same intrusions to take hold in our state and hand over government control on such private decisions," continued Mountjoy. "Beyond that, this effort will open our state to costly legal battles which we just can not afford. It just goes too far."

In the 2008 election cycle, RMC Colorado supported ads and other efforts to stop the personhood initiative, and will again activate their membership to fight this year.

Republican Majority for Choice * www.gopchoice.org * 703-739-8905
333 North Fairfax Street, Suite 302, Alexandria, VA 22314

Much to my delight and amazement, the advocates of legal rights for fertilized eggs might not have enough signatures to get their new egg-mendment on the Colorado ballot in 2010. Normally, you need quite a few more signatures than required, because often people not eligible will sign the petitions. However, they weren't much over the minimum:

Personhood Colorado submitted signatures to the Secretary of State's office today for the Colorado Personhood Amendment. The signatures submitted totaled 79,817, although only 76,047 were required. All signatures are pending validation by the Colorado Secretary of State's office.

I'm not sure when the Secretary of State will announce the results, but I'm hopeful!