Montana Personhood Amendment stirring controversy in MT

www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=8417347&nav=menu227_6/Global/category.asp?C=50434,menu227_6

CI-100 stirring controversy in MT

[emphasis added]
Posted: June 3, 2008 11:33 AM EDT
Updated: June 4, 2008 12:15 PM EDT


State Representative Rick Jore of Ronan



Voters on Tuesday will be facing a number of ballot issues when they head to the polls and may be approached by two groups about one particular ballot issue.

While it's not unusual to be asked to sign petitions for ballot initiatives on primary election day, it is not normal to have people outside your polling place telling you not to sign something.

The measure in question is Constitutional Initiative 100 (CI-100), which is the Montana Personhood Amendment, which would change the constitution to provide full legal rights for all human life beginning at conception.

State Representative Rick Jore of Ronan tried to do the same thing in the 2007 legislature, but his bill failed. So now, Jore has organized a campaign to change the constitution through a citizen initiative.

He and his supporters have until June 20th to collect more than 44,000 signatures. But, that effort has led to active opposition from abortion rights organizations and others who don't want the measure to make the ballot.

"We're hoping our efforts at least are geared toward getting volunteers to the polling places in as many places as we can" explains Jore. "We've got some very dedicated and passionate volunteers that I personally am very proud of."

"We actually think there is an opportunity to keep this from qualifying for the ballot. And we do have volunteers who are trained to be out and talking pro-actively to people about CI-100. And we hope people will decline to sign the petition" says Allyson Hagen with NARAL-Pro Choice Montana.

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"Personhood Song" - Artist: Tony Funderbunk (4:06 - audio link)
"Give an unborn baby personhood..."
www.coloradorighttolife.org/files/audio/personhood.mp3


Montana - CI-100, the Montana Personhood Amendment
www.life2008.org/ballotaccess/ [Go to: "download the petition" ]
Type Bill: state-level personhood constitutional amendment by citizen petition


Montana - HB 403
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2007/billhtml/HB0403.htm
Type bill: state-level personhood constitutional amendment introduced in Montana Legislature


2007-2008 State-Level Personhood (and other selected) Legislation
- Including State-Level Personhood Bills and Personhood Constitutional Amendments
- AL, CO, GA, MT, SC, VA
Updated February 14, 2008
http://righttolifeactofsc.blogspot.com/2008/02/2007-2008-state-level-personhood-and.html

Unborn Personhood on Colorado Ballot

American RTL Elated at Historic Development

www.covenantnews.com/newswire/archives/042573.html
[emphasis added]

May 30, 2008

DENVER, May 30, 2008/Covenant News Wire Service/"For the first time in forty years of 'legalized' child killing, pro-lifers have moved an entire state to consider the God-given right to life of the unborn," said Brian Rohrbough, president of American RTL. "We thank sponsor Kristi Burton of Colorado for Equal Rights, the 500 participating churches, and Colorado RTL for getting personhood on the November ballot."

The Colorado Secretary of State's office validated 103,000 signatures on human life petitions, 27,000 more than required to force a statewide vote. If passed, the Colorado constitution would define 'person' as "any human being from the moment of fertilization."

"Abortion is wrong because it's a baby; it's always wrong to intentionally kill a baby," said Rohrbough, "even when its father is a criminal, as with incest."

American RTL has launched its Colorado personhood campaign with a rebuttal to the so-called 'hard cases' of abortion for incest.

"The abortion clinic covers up the crime of incest, and typically sends the victim back home to her rapist," the group's website states. "Even worse, they often send her home with her rapist, the criminal who brought her to the clinic."

"There are no 'hard cases'," said Steve Curtis, the group's vice president and former chair of the Colorado Republican Party. "Abortion for incest emboldens a criminal to rape his young relative, helps him escape being caught, tempts him to repeat his crime, and is not compassionate because it kills a baby and increases the woman's suffering." Rohrbough added, "Personhood for the unborn helps people understand there are no hard cases when deciding to protect a baby; you don't kill the baby because her father is a criminal."

"Abortion clinics nationwide refuse to comply with mandatory reporting laws for suspected child rape," said Jo Scott, director of Pro-Life Colorado. "We brought audio taped evidence provided by Life Dynamics of that failure to the Colorado attorney general's office, and they choose to look the other way; personhood for the unborn will reduce crimes against women and children."

"American RTL applauds the dozens of Colorado politicians and candidates who have publicly endorsed the personhood amendment," says AmericanRTL.org, "and urges all Christians, pro-life leaders and organizations to support personhood as the only foundation on which to reverse the de-criminalization of killing unborn children."

Media contact:
Donna Ballentine
American Right to Life
1-888-888-ARTL (2785)
E-mail office@AmericanRTL.org
http://americanrtl.org/

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"Personhood Song" - Artist: Tony Funderbunk (4:06 - audio link)
"Give an unborn baby personhood..."
www.coloradorighttolife.org/files/audio/personhood.mp3


Colorado - Human Life Amendment
http://coloradoforequalrights.com/files/initiativetext.pdf
Type Bill: state-level personhood constitutional amendment by citizen petition


2007-2008 State-Level Personhood (and other selected) Legislation
- Including State-Level Personhood Bills and Constitutional Amendments
- AL, CO, GA, MT, SC, VA
Updated February 14, 2008
http://righttolifeactofsc.blogspot.com/2008/02/2007-2008-state-level-personhood-and.html

Colorado Human Life Amendment Signatures Certified - Historic Amendment Officially on November's Ballot

Human Life Amendment Signatures Certified
- Historic Amendment Officially on November's Ballot

www.covenantnews.com/newswire/archives/042535.html
[emphasis added]

May 29, 2008

DENVER, May 29, 2008 / Covenant News Wire Service / For the first time in US history, the issue of personhood will be decided in the public forum by a constitutional amendment.

Colorado for Equal Rights was notified today by the Colorado Secretary of State's Office that enough valid signatures were submitted to put the Every Human is a Person amendment on the November 2008 ballot. The Secretary of State's Office's random sampling indicated that there were 103,377 valid signatures, surpassing the 76,047 valid signatures that were required.

"The people of Colorado have spoken, the Secretary of State's Office has certified our signatures, and our equal rights amendment will be on November's ballot," stated Kristi Burton, initiative sponsor. "All humans should be protected by love and by law, and this amendment is a historic effort to ensure equal rights for every person."

Colorado for Equal Rights has demonstrated an unparalleled grassroots effort thus far, with likely more volunteer circulators than any other ballot initiative in the State's history. The grassroots initiative had over 1,300 volunteer petition circulators.

"We at Colorado for Equal Rights are incredibly thankful for our many volunteers who worked so hard for each signature we delivered to the Secretary of State's Office and the churches who stood behind us and supported us," Burton continued. "This victory is the voice of the people and all credit goes our Creator." Colorado for Equal Rights is a statewide grassroots organization of concerned citizens who value human life. Colorado for Equal Rights is sponsoring the Human Life Amendment to the Colorado constitution, stating "(t)he term 'Person' or 'Persons' shall include any human from the time of fertilization."


For more information contact:
Kristi Burton
719-661-8827
E-mail kristiburton@gmail.com
http://www.ColoradoforEqualRights.com


Posted by Editor at May 29, 2008 03:37 PM

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Colorado - Human Life Amendment
http://coloradoforequalrights.com/files/initiativetext.pdf
Type Bill: state-level personhood constitutional amendment by citizen petition


2007-2008 State-Level Personhood (and other selected) Legislation
- Including State-Level Personhood Bills and Constitutional Amendments
- AL, CO, GA, MT, SC, VA
Updated February 14, 2008
http://righttolifeactofsc.blogspot.com/2008/02/2007-2008-state-level-personhood-and.html

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