Tait & Smith Team Up on Bipartisan Bill to Restrict Pro-Choice Rights

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait is often hailed by some Democrats in OC for being a Progressive champion of sorts certain issues and Orange Mayor Tita Smith, a Democrat, is often taken to task for being one of the few elected Democrats in the country that didn’t vote for Barack Obama’s re-election in 2012.  Together, they have teamed up to offer a statewide ballot measure designed to undermine Roe v. Wade.

Smith is a pro-birth Democrat, and when I asked her about why she didn’t vote for the President in 2012, she replied its because she votes only for pro-life candidates (why is she a Democrat again?).  In joining with Smith, Tait, the true author of the ballot measure, can claim this is a bi-partisan ballot measure with Smith’s support.  Smith is barely a Democrat and is certainly out of step with the vast majority of Democrats in California.  Undermining Roe v. Wade has always been a conservative position and adding his name to this ballot measure is Tait’s attempt to shore up his “conservative” credentials.

The ballot measure carries a deceptive name: “The Under 16 Parental Notification, Child and Teen Safety, and Stop Sexual Predators and Sex Traffickers Act. Version #2.”  If this ballot measure gets enough signatures for 2016 ballot and voters are duped into approving it, it would severely restrict pro-choice rights by having an unintended consequence of possible underage victims of incest alerting their parents prior to having an abortion.

 

Here’s the description:

Changes California Constitution to prohibit certain currently authorized trained and licensed medical professionals from providing abortions to unemancipated minors, as defined. Prohibits abortion for those minors until 48 hours after physician notifies parent/legal guardian in writing. Provides exceptions for medical emergency, parental waiver, or parental abuse documented by notarized statement from law enforcement or relatives. Judge may waive notice if minor appears personally in court and proves maturity or best interest. Requires specific abortion information reported to State. Physicians subject to suit for 12 years. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: State administrative costs of at least $1 million, and potentially a few million dollars, annually. Uncertain net fiscal impact on state health and social services programs, potentially in the millions of dollars annually, to the extent the measure results in changes to the abortion and/or birth rates in the state. (15-0062.)

Changes California Constitution to prohibit abortion for unemancipated minor, as defined, until 48 hours after physician or other trained and licensed medical professional notifies her parent/legal guardian in writing. Provides exceptions for medical emergency, parental waiver, or parental abuse documented by notarized statement from law enforcement or relatives. Judge may waive notice if minor appears personally in court and proves maturity or waiver is in her best interest. Requires reporting of specific abortion information to State. Physicians/medical professionals subject to suit for 12 years. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: State administrative costs of at least $1 million, and potentially a few million dollars, annually. Uncertain net fiscal impact on state health and social services program

s, potentially in the millions of dollars annually, to the extent the measure results in changes to the abortion and/or birth rates in the state.

That’s a lot of hoops for a teen to jump through.  The measure puts so many restrictions before a scared pregnant teen, most would give up.  How many teens even know what a notary is or to asked for a notarized document?

Now there’s a provision in here that allows for relatives to document parental abuse in granting an abortion, but what if a teenager in impregnated by an uncle, a cousin, or her brother?

Abortion, nationally, is on the decline while Roe v. Wade remains under constant attack.  According to surveys in 2011, the highest number of reported abortions occurred in California (181,730) and in 2012, teens under 15 years old accounted for .04% of all abortions, but also had the highest abortion ratio per live births; for every 1,000 babies born, there were more than 800 abortions according to the center for Disease Control.  About 1% of all abortions nationally were the result of rape and 40% of minors who had an abortion report that neither parent knew about it.  Less than .5% of women became pregnant as a result of incest according to a survey from the Guttmacher Institute.

Planed Parenthood of Orange County has this to say:  “Proponents of this initiative will have you believe it’s about teen safety, when in reality the real agenda is to limit women’s access to reproductive health and ban safe and legal abortion,” said Robert Armeta, vice president of public affairs at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties.

No one is pro-abortion; many people (mostly Democrats and Liberals) want abortion to be safe, rare and legal.  Outlawing or making abortions harder to obtain will not stop abortion; it will just move into the back alley where it was in the 1950s and 1960s where women will die.

Tait and Smith’s aren’t pro-life so much as they are pro-birth.  City assistance for day care services in Orange or Anaheim is practically nil.  If you work and want good daycare, be prepared to pay for it through the nose.

One has to wonder if the DPOC will issue a proclamation condemning Mayor Smith for lending her name to this statewide ballot initiative.  Not likely as those so eager to condemn Anaheim council member Jordan Brandman just love them some Tom Tait.  So don’t expect any condemnation of Tait or Smith for a violation of a core Democratic value of protecting a woman’s right to choose.