The Oklahoma attorney general had approved a "personhood amendment" to be placed on the ballot to allow citizens to define “a person” as “any human being from the beginning of the biological development of that human being to natural death,” but in April, the Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down the ballot measure saying that it would violate the U.S. Supreme Court favoring abortion. Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal to allow Oklahomans a voice in the matter.
Unelected judges prevail, again.
For background, read Oklahoma GOP & Supreme Court Defeat Personhood and also read Abortionists Fear Personhood Movement Gaining Steam as well as Mississippi Failed to Negate Roe v. Wade via Personhood
-- From "U.S. Supreme Court declines to hear Oklahoma Personhood Initiative case" posted at KOCO-TV5 (Oklahoma City) 10/29/12
[The case] Personhood Oklahoma v. Barber questioned whether the Oklahoma Supreme Court had the authority to stop the initiative from going to a vote.
Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt approved the ballot title and summary. Personhood Oklahoma was attempting to gather signatures in order to place the issue before the voters. The American Civil Liberties Union along with the Center for Reproductive Rights and other organizations filed a lawsuit disputing the constitutionality of the proposed amendment.
The Oklahoma Supreme Court then ruled that the initiative violated the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "US Supreme Court rejects Okla. personhood appeal" by Ken Miller, Associated Press 10/30/12
A personhood bill passed in the state Senate during this year's legislative session but was not heard by the House.
Personhood Oklahoma co-founder Dan Skerbitz said the group will not give up.
"In Oklahoma, the people were denied their right to petition and their right to vote," Skerbitz said. "The people of Oklahoma will not rest until our voices are heard, and our women and children are protected from abortion."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Supreme Courts Declines to Review ‘Personhood’ Ballot Measure" posted at JD Journal 10/30/12
While the Center for Reproductive Rights, the ACLU and local abortion rights groups had sued in March to block the proposed initiative, and got a ruling in their favor, Personhood Oklahoma challenged the state court’s decision and appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. The appellants had argued that the decision of Oklahoma Supreme Court to block the initiative from being put to ballot deprived supporters of the measure of their rights to free speech and of their rights to participate in the democratic process.
However, the U.S. Supreme Court, refused to hear the case without adding any comment.
[Although], similar initiatives have been placed on ballot in Colorado and Mississippi, though in both states, such amendment measures have been defeated.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "U.S. Supreme Court declines Oklahoma Personhood case" by John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews.com 10/29/12
Commenting on the case, Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, said, “The Court’s decision not to take up the Oklahoma Personhood initiative has no precedential value. The issue is not about the merits of personhood but about whether a state court can interfere with the rights of citizens to gather signatures to amend their constitutions.”
“On the issue,” Staver added, “the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision is wrong.”
Staver concluded, “The time has come for government to acknowledge what science has long recognized – that human life begins from the moment of conception or fertilization and should be protected in law from its earliest beginnings.”
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
Also read Non-Romney GOP Push Personhood, End of Abortion
