The Montana State Legislature is currently debating Senate Bill 46, seeks to place a ballot measure that would ask voters to amend the state constitution by adding “the protection of unborn human life” as a compelling state interest. If the bill is passed by 2/3 of the state legislature and voters pass the ballot measure, the Montana Constitution would then read: 

Section 10. Right of privacy. The right of individual privacy is essential to the well-being of a free society and shall not be infringed without the showing of a compelling state interest. The protection of unborn human life is a compelling state interest.

Bill sponsor State Senator Dan McGee (R-Laurel) “gave the example of domestic violence to say the right to privacy ends when a human being’s life is in danger,” reports Montana’s News Station.

The Associated Press reports, “Opponents argued the proposed ballot measure is unnecessary, and that it would strip constitutional rights only from pregnant women. They said it would allow government interference into citizens’ lives, and lay the groundwork to outlaw abortion should the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision be trumped by Congress.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 and is filed under Children, Civil liberties, Medical data, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Possibly related posts:

• Update on Controversial Abortion Laws in Oklahoma
• Associated Press: Oklahoma governor vetoes two abortion bills
• Billings Gazette: Montana lawmakers have twice rejected prescription monitoring