The New Hampshire Catholic bishop is appealing to the state legislature to override Gov. John Lynch's veto of a bill requiring abortionists to inform parents, or a judge (48 hours in advance), of the intention of any girl under age 18 to kill her unborn child.
UPDATE 6/23/11: Notification becomes law as House overrides veto by 266-102, Senate overrides by 17-7
-- From "NH gov vetoes bill requiring parental notification" by Norma Love, Associated Press 6/15/11
Exceptions existed if a doctor determined the female's life was at risk or if a delay would create "serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily organ."
The Democratic governor said he was prepared to sign a parental notification bill if it contained commonsense changes. He said a young woman should not be forced to involve the person who abused her in the decision.
He also noted that if doctors performed abortions and it was later determined to be the wrong decision, they would have faced criminal liability.
Four years ago, Lynch made New Hampshire the first state to repeal a law requiring parental notification for minors to get abortions. He said the unenforced law was unconstitutional because it failed to protect the safety of young women.
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From "Bishop urges Legislature to overturn abortion notification veto" by Dan Tuohy, New Hampshire Union Leader 6/21/11
Bishop John B. McCormack . . . head of the Roman Catholic Church in the state, said the bill recognizes the importance of the constitutionally protected role that parents have in caring for their children.
“It would be a grave mistake to divest parents of meaningful input into the health care of their minor children,” he said in statement. “It is significant that in every other context of an adolescent’s life, the law assumes that parents are the natural guardians of their child’s health and best interests. Indeed, New Hampshire requires parental consent — not just parental notification — with respect to a long list of health care and non-health care matters, including tanning, body piercing, employment, and the possession and use of an asthma inhaler and epinephrine auto injectors.”
In what way does it make sense that a child cannot be given an aspirin by a school nurse without the consent of the parent,” McCormack said, “but that same child can have an abortion, serious surgery with life-changing consequences, without the parent even knowing that it has happened?”
The Republican-dominated Legislature appears to have strength to muster an override. The House passed the bill 256 to 102 and the Senate passed it 17 to 7.
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From "Parental Notification Veto Not Likely The Last Word" by Josh Rogers, New Hampshire Public Radio 6/16/11
Parental notification has been a hot-button issue for as long as John Lynch has been Governor, and throughout Lynch’s almost 7 years in office his stance has been pretty consistent: He didn’t think a notice law was needed but did think that parents would ideally be involved in a minor's decision to have an abortion. Lynch’s veto message, though, says something a little different.
“I support parental notification. I think parents should be involved in decision of this significance, but I also recognize that are situation where parents can’t be involved, particularly where there are minors who are victims of rape and incest.”
Parental notification bills have historically had a hard time in Concord. The one passed in 2003 and later repealed after a legal battle that stretched all the way to the US Supreme Court cleared the state senate by just a single vote. But republican leaders made this bill a top priority, and it cleared both chambers more than 2 to 1 margins.
. . . 2/3rd votes in both chambers are required for an override. But neither the governor, nor lawmakers may have the final word. Diana Kasdan of an ACLU lawyer who monitors abortion issues nationwide. She says a court challenge would examine more than case law and statutory construction.
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