For Immediate Release: February 12, 2024
Contact: [email protected]
AGs in Four States Call Out Abortion Industry’s Deception
Helena, Mont. – SBA Pro-Life America has submitted an amicus brief in support of Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s challenge to CI-14, Montana’s abortion ballot measure that would allow abortion in all nine months of pregnancy, remove health protections for women and implicate parental rights. AG Knudsen blocked the measure last month which violates the state’s “separate-vote” requirement by logrolling multiple subjects into one measure and using misleading language.
The brief submitted by SBA Pro-Life America in collaboration with the American Center for Law & Justice and the Montana Family Foundation outlines problems of deception including vague “health” language, the lack of a definition of “viability,” and the ability of abortions to be performed by any “health care professional” which by definition could include nurse practitioners, physician assistants, midwives, doulas, psychologists, social workers, and physical therapists. The groups say:
“CI-14 includes at least three separate amendments to constitutional requirements which are not closely related and have not been historically treated as a single subject. Montana voters will not know what they are voting for should this proposal be allowed to move forward. The complete text of the proposed constitutional amendment is riddled with legally deficient and confusing language.”
Similar to Montana, attorneys general in Florida, South Dakota and Arkansas are fulfilling their duty in guarding the public against deceptive ballot measures. Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin required activists to rewrite their initial language because their proposed text was misleading. Ashley Moody challenged Florida’s proposed abortion amendment on grounds similar to Montana’s with the state Supreme Court hearing oral arguments on February 7. Additionally, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley admonished abortion activists for unlawful misconduct in deceiving voters to sign petitions.
SBA Pro-Life America’s State Policy Director Katie Daniel shared her reaction:
“Deceptive language is the common theme amongst abortion ballot measures across the states. Abortion activists know they must cloak their amendments in misleading words because abortion in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters is incredibly unpopular and so is taking away parental rights and eliminating health protections for women. We thank Attorney General Austin Knudsen for standing against abortion activists’ deceptive and unconstitutional tactics. He along with Ashley Moody, Marty Jackley and Tim Griffin are faithfully carrying out their duties as they push for clarity and for laws to be followed in the ballot measure process.”
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America is a network of more than one million pro-life Americans nationwide, dedicated to ending abortion by electing national leaders and advocating for laws that save lives, with a special calling to promote pro-life women leaders.
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