Maryland State Constitutional "Personhood" Amendment

State-level Personhood legislation is already being pursued in Maryland, North Dakota, and South Carolina for the 2009-2010 Legislative Session
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Lawmaker wants to open public debate on ‘the glory of life’

Delegate proposes Personhood Amendment for state Constitution

Kevin Spradlin
Cumberland Times-News [ Maryland ]
www.times-news.com/local/local_story_030231824.html
Published: January 30, 2009

CUMBERLAND ­ A Republican lawmaker from Anne Arundel County is building support for a Personhood Amendment to the state Constitution and plans to introduce a bill “to a somewhat reluctant legislature” as soon as next week.

Delegate Don Dwyer of Glen Burnie discussed some of the finer points of his draft legislation late Wednesday during a conference call organized by supporters from across the country. The call took place less than a week after the 36th annual March for Life in Washington.

“My goal in this whole thing is to open up the public debate on the majesty, the magnificence and the glory of life,” Dwyer said. “I want to force my colleagues to have to recognize that based on science, not rhetoric ... that there is no doubt that that is not mere tissue in a womb ... that is a human being in the process of development by the miracle of life.”

Dwyer said Delegates Wendell Beitzel and LeRoy Myers, both of whom represent portions of Allegany County, are two of more than two dozen supporters of the legislation. But the Judiciary Committee member is in a unique position to understand just what obstacles he faces among colleagues in Annapolis.

“The majority of members of the legislature ... are absolutely adamant pro-choicers,” Dwyer said. “There are going to be some people who do not want to have to look at the fact that life begins at conception.”

Western Maryland appears supportive of his cause. Many of those pro-choice votes come from Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and Baltimore City, Dwyer said.

“The challenge there is going to be to mobilize the Christian base in each of those jurisdictions to look at this issue,” Dwyer said. “That’s a process that’s going to take some time.”

Dwyer said Delegate Joseph Vallario Jr., Judiciary Committee chairman, “committed to me (Tuesday) that he will not stop me or try in any way to impede a public hearing.”

Supporters and those who have advocated a similar amendment at the federal level or in different states helped Dwyer fine-tune some of the language during the call.

[continued...]

Dwyer insisted the focus of his bill is on life and not an anti-abortion stance.

“That’s not at all what I’m going to be focusing on,” he said. “I’m going to talk about life. Abortion isn’t going to be a word I’m going to use in any of my public discussion.”

Admittedly, during private audiences, Dwyer will discuss “the culture of death,” a phrase borrowed from a supporter on the issue. Dwyer said it makes sense society would be numb to “kill the unborn in the womb” when people are regularly exposed to modern music, news broadcasts and videos that appear to condone and glorify such activity.

Contact Kevin Spradlin at kspradlin@times-news.com.

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2009-2010 State-Level Personhood (and other selected) Legislation:
- Including State-Level Personhood Bills and Constitutional Amendments
- MD, ND, SC
Updated February 10, 2009

In addition to the Maryland State Constitutional "Personhood" Amendment reported above, other states with active "Personhood" legislation to ban abortion include:

1) North Dakota (H.1572) - filed January 19, 2009, House Committee hearing scheduled February 10, 2009
www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/61-2009/bill-actions/ba1572.html
http://personhoodnorthdakota.com/


2) South Carolina - "Right to Life Act of SC" Personhood bill presently being circulated in SC House for co-sponsors
www.scstatehouse.gov/
http://www.christianlifeandliberty.net/, "RTL Act of SC" page
http://www.righttolifeactofsc.net/

God's requirement for Murder is JUSTICE, not Regulation !!!
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For those who understand that abortion could have been stopped at any time for the last 36 years, and can still be stopped at any time, almost immediately, simply by vesting legal "personhood" status at fertilization, without exceptions for ALL pre-birth human beings, these developments in MD, ND, and SC are good news. Establishing "personhood" at fertilization, with no exceptions, "collapses" the (so-called) legal argument for child-murder-by-abortion, according to the text of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision itself !

The "personhood" solution to ending abortion was actually spelled out right in the text of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision:

Columbia Christians for Life, Columbia, South Carolina
From: http://www.christianlifeandliberty.net/, "RTL Act of SC" page:

Right to Life Act of SC - news conference and "Jesus Christ is Lord of the Gates" pro-life rally - Jan. 17, 2006
www.christianlifeandliberty.net/H3213-S111-1032.doc

In the very text of the Roe v. Wade US supreme Court decision it states, “[Texas] argue[s] that the fetus is a “person” within the language and meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment… If this suggestion of personhood is established, the [pro-abortion] case, of course, collapses, for the fetus’ right to life would then be guaranteed specifically by the [14th] Amendment.” In other words, there never would have been legalized abortion under Roe v. Wade. But tragically, Texas had an “exception” which undermined their entire “personhood” argument. Justice Harry Blackmun wrote:
“[ Footnote 54 ] When Texas urges that a fetus is entitled to Fourteenth Amendment protection as a person, it faces a dilemma. Neither in Texas nor in any other State are all abortions prohibited. Despite broad proscription, an exception always exists… But if the fetus is a person who is not to be deprived of life without due process of law, and if the mother's condition is the sole determinant, does not the Texas exception appear to be out of line with the Amendment's command? ...”
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=us&vol=410&invol=113
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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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Personhood Amendment in Colorado (ballot initiative voted on November 4, 2008)
- Historic, first-time-ever, state-wide vote conducted on a "Personhood" Constitutional Amendment

www.coloradoforequalrights.com/

Colorado Personhood Amendment to State Constitution - results of November 4, 2008 ballot initiative
Amendment 48-Definition of Person Results
http://data.denverpost.com/election/results/amendment/2008/48-definition-of-person/
100% reporting ( 3215 precincts )
Ballot-Vote Vote percentage Vote count
No 73.2% (1,605,978)
Yes 26.7% (585,561)
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For more information on the history of the Right to Life Act of SC and related information, including constitutional principles, and personhood legislation in other states, see, http://www.christianlifeandliberty.net/, "RTL Act of SC" page and http://www.righttolifeactofsc.net/

If you would like to work to have introduced in your state, either:

A) a Personhood bill introduced in your state legislature (such as in North Dakota or South Carolina), or
B) a Personhood constitutional amendment introduced in your state legislature (such as in Maryland), or
C) a ballot initiative personhood constitutional amendment process going, and would like some assistance, please call Columbia Christians for Life at 803-794-6273. CCL can help you directly with A) and B) and can put you in touch with those who can provide guidance and counsel with option C). State constitutional personhood amendments have been attempted in at least Michigan, Colorado, and Montana. One of the country's most experienced men in this area is Cal Zastrow.

The gates of hell shall NOT prevail against the church that Messiah is building (Matthew 16:18). However, HE desires to be glorified in and through and by His true church, made up of born-again, Bible-believers (not the Roman Catholic, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, or other institutions of false religion). God works a great deal through "means" - and that includes born-again, Bible-believing, Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit, rightly representing our Lord and Saviour in spirit and in truth, and advancing Biblical answers, as we do !

"... I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18
Yeshua Messiah

Hallelu-Yah !

Steve Lefemine, pro-life missionary
dir., Columbia Christians for Life
PO Box 50358
Columbia, SC
(803) 794-6273
www.ChristianLifeandLiberty.net
www.RighttoLifeActofSC.net
www.LefemineForLife.net
February 10, 2009