Southern Sierran
Vote no on Proposition 73
Sierra Club also opposes propositions 75 and 76

By Paul Mason
Sierra Club California

The Sierra Club opposes Proposition 73, a constitutional amendment on the Nov. 8 special election.

Proposition 73 is an attempt to undermine a woman’s right to choose. The Sierra Club is pro-choice because we believe in a woman’s right to choose and to have family planning readily available to those who want and need it.

Proposition 73 would amend the state constitution to require health care providers to notify the parents of women under the age of 18 before providing abortion services. Once a parent has been notified, a mandatory waiting period of 48 hours is required before the doctor can provide an abortion. Only those teens faced with a medical emergency or those who obtain a “judicial bypass” are exempt from the parental notification requirement.

Proposition 73 would serve as a blatant intrusion by the government into private, personal family matters. It places our most vulnerable teenagers—those in abusive homes, or those who are pregnant as a result of rape or incest—in jeopardy of severe health consequences such as delaying medical attention or seeking dangerous amateur abortions without appropriate medical supervision. Expecting teenagers in abusive homes to navigate a complicated and overcrowded legal system in order to get access to safe abortion services is unrealistic.

The Sierra Club supports voluntary family planning as an important part of our work to protect public health and defend the earth’s wild places. The Sierra Club believes that a woman’s right to choose is a vital part of family planning policy. If Proposition 73 passes, the proponents will likely use their success to systematically attempt to tear down the principles established in Roe v. Wade, which is their larger agenda.

The Sierra Club also opposes propositions 75 and 76. For more information about these measures, visit www.sierraclubcalifornia.org or see last month’s Southern Sierran.

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