Abortion amendment fails to get traction
JACKSON, Miss. – Anti-abortion advocates took a hit Wednesday when an initiative to declare life begins at conception didn’t get any traction.
Personhood USA was pushing a proposal that would make abortions illegal, saying once a baby is conceived, it’s alive.
The group started a petition last spring after Mississippians voted down an earlier referendum. Members of the group said most Mississippi residents were confused by what effect the 2011 proposal would have on birth control and in-vitro fertilization.
“We are very relieved. That Initiative 41 would have had exactly the same unintended consequences for infertility for life-threatening pregnancy complications,” said Atlee Breland, president of Parents Against Personhood. “It would have had the same issues as Initiative 26, which would have had the same consequences, which voters looked at and chose to move forward. We are very relieved that they have not chosen to move forward again today.”
The group had until the end of business Wednesday to collect more than 107,000 signatures.
The proposal will not be on the ballot in the November 2015 election.
WAPT
5/14/15
