Parental Notification Endangers Teen Safety. November 8th, vote NO on Proposition 73!

What is this initiative all about?

Signatures were filed with the state on April 13 to qualify a dangerous measure to be voted on in the next statewide election. Proposition 73 is a harmful and ill-conceived initiative that would amend the state constitution to require health care providers to notify the parents of young women under the age of 18 before providing abortion services. Once a parent has been notified, a mandatory waiting period of 48 hours is required before the doctor can provide an abortion. Only those teens faced with a medical emergency or those who obtain a “judicial bypass” are exempt from the parental notification requirement. This initiative would serve as a blatant intrusion by the government into private, personal family matters and would place vulnerable teens in jeopardy of severe health consequences.

What’s wrong with parental notification laws?

Most parents' top priority is to ensure that their teens are safe and healthy. Parental notification laws do nothing to keep teens safe or promote family communication. Ironically, the real outcome of these laws is delayed medical care and counseling for the most vulnerable teens. Parents need real tools to help them communicate openly with their children about healthy behaviors and sexual decision-making. What they don't need is government intrusion laws.

Shouldn’t parents have a right to know if their teen is getting an abortion?

First and foremost, parents want to ensure that their teens are safe. Although many parents do a good job of communicating with their teens about sensitive issues like sexuality, some teens can't or won't go to their parents when faced with an unplanned pregnancy. Most parents agree that whether or not their children come to them, they should have timely access to medical care and counseling. 

Do teens usually involve their parents in decisions about whether to have an abortion?

Yes. In fact, research shows that a majority of teens talk to their parents about their options when faced with a difficult situation like an unplanned pregnancy. Planned Parenthood works with parents and teens every day to promote healthy communication at home. But we also know from experience that not every family is able to communicate when it comes to sensitive issues like abortion or sexuality.  We must do everything in our power to protect the health of young people by ensuring they can receive the medical care they need, when they need it. For more information about PPGG's work to promote healthy communication, please click here.

What is a judicial bypass?

Proponents of Prop. 73 contend that because it contains a judicial bypass waiver – which allows a young woman to go before a judge to waive the parental notification requirement – teens in abusive homes are protected. In fact, judicial bypass offers little if any protection. For those young women who can’t talk to their parents about this issue, going before a judge is daunting and unrealistic. Many teens lack knowledge of court procedures or live in rural areas and cannot easily access a judge in a timely fashion. And some judges are anti-choice and will not grant a waiver to teens even under the most compelling of circumstances.

Why and how does Prop. 73 change the state constitution?

The California Supreme Court has already ruled that parental notification laws are unconstitutional because they violate young women’s right to privacy and threaten their health. Prop. 73 is an attempt by well-funded anti-choice extremists to circumvent the courts. With Prop. 73, they hope to undermine the integrity of our constitution and system of checks and balances to push their dangerous agenda on California families.

Who is behind Proposition 73?

James Holman, a San Diego millionaire known for his extremist anti-choice views – he opposes contraception and believes abortion should be outlawed in all cases, including rape and incest- has pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money in support of Prop. 73. Most of Holman’s money to date has gone to paid signature gathers in an effort to qualify Prop. 73 for the ballot.  Because Prop. 73 will be brought to voters in California, the most pro-choice state in the country, anti-choice donors from around the country are also backing the dangerous measure.

Who opposes Proposition 73?

Along with Planned Parenthood, NARAL Pro-Choice California and the ACLU, many other medical and civil rights organizations have come out in opposition to parental notification laws. The American Medical Association, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and many others have cited the risk to teens’ health in opposing these laws. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “mandating parental notification does not achieve the intended benefit of promoting family communication, but it does increase the risk of harm to the adolescent by delaying access to appropriate care.” Concerned parents across the state also oppose the initiative becuase they know that if their teen couldn't come to them, for whatever reason, they would want them to be safe.  They also don't want judges making important life decisions for their daughters.

When will Proposition 73 be on the ballot?

The initiative has qualified for the November 8th "special" election, recently called by the governor. To learn more about other measures on the ballot, visit the Secretary of State's site by clicking here.