Anchorage Daily News: Planned Parenthood appeals ruling on abortion notification, by Megan Holland:
PlannedParenthood of Alaska is filing an appeal asking a higher court toinvalidate an initiative that would ask voters if a doctor planning toperform an abortion on a girl under age 18 should have to notify thegirl’s parents.
The appeal was expected after a state Superior Court judge ruled lastmonth largely in favor of the initiative, which is being backed byanti-abortion advocates.
People who signed the petition were misled by language in the petitionbooklet, according to Laura Einstein, legal director for PlannedParenthood of the Great Northwest. The rights group said the signersmay have thought they were supporting something different because theproposal and its ramifications were not clearly written. Even thoughthat was the case, Judge Frank Pfiffner ruled March 16 that theinitiative’s backers did not need to get new signatures.
The initiative backers submitted the signatures of 36,285 peoplesupporting their measure to the lieutenant governor’s office, whichorganizes elections. They want it included on the August statewideprimary ballot. . . . .
Added by AH on 4.8.10