California Catholic Daily

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Published: August 6, 2009

Personhood Amendment

State-by-State Survey, including California

(Editor: The following email was sent by Keith Mason, a leader in the movement to pass the Personhood Amendment in individual states. The Montana state senate, for example, passed SB 406 this past February, the language of which states: "all persons are born free and have certain inalienable rights ... person means a human being at all stages of human development of life, including the state of fertilization or conception, regardless of age, health, level of functioning,or condition of dependency." A personhood amendment on the Colorado ballot in November, 2008 lost 73-27%.)

Last week I wrote a brief report of what is happening around the country:

Mississippi - gathering signatures to have amendment placed on 2010 ballot. Estimate of 35,000 of the 87,000 signatures needed by Oct 1, active in approximately 217 churches currently.

Montana - committee formed, submitted language to secretary of state July 1

Colorado - committee formed, submitted language to secretary of state July 2

Oregon - gathering signatures for 2010 ballot, currently stalled by attorney general

Indiana - committee formed, gathering opinion petitions to introduce bill next session

Nevada - committee formed, scheduled in submit language to SOS August 15

California - committee being built first meeting, July 25th

Florida - committee being built first meeting, July 11th, estimating submit language Sep 18th

North Dakota - committee formed, making decision of another bill or gathering signatures for 2010

New Mexico - legislators working on bill for 2010

Alabama - legislators working on bill for 2010, grassroots team to support bill meeting regularly

Georgia - Georgia Right To Life heading up all efforts, bill to be introduced in fall

Maryland - legislators working on Bill for 2010, grassroots team to support bill meeting regularly

South Carolina - bill to be reintroduced in fall

Texas - committee being formed, looking for rep to introduce language

Ohio - committee being formed, plan to gather signatures for amendment

Michigan - bill to be introduced soon

Hawaii - bill being considered

Oklahoma - committee being formed, plan to gather signatures for amendment

Pennsylvania - opinion petition being circulated, 2000 signatures gathered to build grassroots base and encourage bill soon.

Kansas - group is looking for a rep or senator to introduce as an amendment

Louisiana - pro-life pastors are looking for a rep. or senator to introduce an amendment

West Virginia - pro-life groups are looking for a rep or senator to introduce as an amendment

I have heard about four more states that have intentions to start efforts but we have not made contact and verified this.

Walter Hoye will be spearheading the effort in California. Eduardo Verastegui has agreed to be a spokesperson.

The meeting last Saturday was very exciting. There are three goals to this campaign:
1. Honor God by affirming the rights of those created in His image
2. Build a grassroots pro-life army that has never been built in CA before
3. Utilize this opportunity to educate on the humanity of the pre-born.

The focus of this effort is not to win a political battle, but rather to set the standard and get the debate about life headed in the right direction.

We hope to build the grassroots to a point in this state so that we can gather signatures without paying for them. So this means that resources invested into this effort will primarily go towards building the grassroots network across the state.

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