News from the Senate Majority

Alaska State Legislature

Wendy Lindskoog, Senate Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801-1182
Phone: 907/465-4582
web site at http://www.akrepublicans.org
Broadcast Actualities: 800/478-6540

For Immediate Release: April 30, 1997 Contact: Senator Loren Leman 907/465-2095

Legislators Criticize Veto of Parental Consent Bill

Juneau -- Senator Loren Leman (R-Anchorage) and Rep. Pete Kelly (R-Fairbanks) criticized Governor Knowles' action in vetoing Senate Bill 24, legislation to make enforceable Alaska's statute requiring parental consent before a minor's abortion.

"By his veto today, Governor Knowles has staked out an extremist position on the fringes of the abortion debate," stated Senator Leman, who sponsored Senate Bill 24. "78 percent of Alaskans support parental involvement in the abortion decisions of minors. The Governor ignored their views today, and sided with those who want no restrictions, even for children."

Senator Leman also criticized the Governor's stated rationale for vetoing the legislation. "Governor Knowles' suggestion that SB 24 would lead to increases in illegal abortions and teenage suicides is outrageous and insulting," Leman said. "He ignores the fact that 27 states have parental involvement laws that are enforced. There is not one shred of evidence that these statutes have led to illegal abortions or teen suicides. In fact, evidence from Minnesota, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and other states shows that parental involvement statutes help decrease teen pregnancies, which leads to fewer abortions and fewer live births."

Rep. Pete Kelly, who introduced a companion parental consent bill in the House, expressed disbelief with the Governor's argument that SB 24 is unconstitutional. "He is telling the parents of Alaska, 'you don't have a right to know when your 15- or 16-year-old daughter is having an invasive surgical procedure'," Kelly commented. "Now he's hiding behind constitutional arguments to defend this extremist position -- but it won't hold water. The U.S. Supreme Court just last month on a 9-0 vote upheld a Montana judicial bypass procedure that is virtually identical to SB 24. Also, last year the California Supreme Court upheld that state's parental consent law, arguing that it did not infringe on privacy rights."

The Legislature will meet in joint session to consider overriding the veto.

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