About

In August of 2009, Alaskans for Parental Rights was formed as a ballot group under Alaska Family Action, the legislative action arm of Alaska Family Council. Our goal was to obtain a minimum of 32,734 signatures from Alaskans across the state who believed that parents had the right to be involved when their minor daughter was considering an abortion. In January of this year, we turned in nearly 50,000 signatures to the Alaska Division of Elections.

On August 24th in the Primary Election, Alaskans will be asked a simple question: Should parents have the right to be involved when their minor daughter is considering an abortion? We take it for granted that parents are required to give their consent, or at least be notified, before their child can get an aspirin at school, have her ears pierced, get a tattoo, go to an R-rated movie, or attend a field trip.

Yet in Alaska today, a doctor can perform the surgical procedure of abortion on a female minor without even informing the girl’s parents.

34 other states have laws requiring that a parent provide consent or receive advance notice before an abortion can be performed on their child. These laws have promoted the health and welfare of minors, and protected the constitutional right of parents to rear their children. Parents typically have the most knowledge of their child’s medical history (e.g., drug allergies, previous illnesses, surgeries). Parental involvement laws ensure that parents have the opportunity to discuss their daughter’s medical history with both their child and their doctor.

The proposed law contains exceptions for the very rare instances when notifying a parent might not be in the best interests of the minor – for example, when a teen comes from an abusive home. There is a “judicial bypass” procedure that allows judges to waive the requirement for parental notice on a case-by-case basis. In cases of abuse, a minor can also have another person with knowledge of the abuse sign an affidavit, which would also waive the parental notice requirement.

Opponents of the parental notification ballot measure argue it is a “government mandate.” But all laws are government mandates, from highway speed limits, to the rule that says you have to buckle your infant into a car seat when traveling on the road. The essential question is whether the law advances a proper interest. Parental involvement laws protect the rights of parents, and safeguard the health of their children. The record from 36 other states is clear: parental involvement laws work.

Ultimately, you must ask yourself – who do you trust more to make medical decisions for your child: yourself, or an abortion doctor who happens to make money by performing abortions? The opponents of this measure would have you believe that the staff of an abortion clinic are somehow better equipped than parents to help a teenage girl make a decision that potentially has life-changing consequences. We disagree.

Parental involvement laws are supported by most Americans, regardless of their positions on abortion.
The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently upheld parental involvement laws. Even the late Justice Harry Blackmun, the author of Roe v. Wade, found these laws to be constitutional as long as they include a judicial bypass procedure, which this measure does.

Voting YES will protect teen health and uphold the rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children.