HJR 32-CONST. AM: PARENTAL CONSENT TO ABORTION                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
5:16:23 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced that the  final order of business would                                                               
be HOUSE JOINT  RESOLUTION NO. 32, Proposing an  amendment to the                                                               
Constitution  of  the State  of  Alaska  relating to  notice  and                                                               
consent before termination of a minor's pregnancy.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
5:16:30 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE GABRIEL LEDOUX, Alaska State Legislature,                                                                        
paraphrased from the Sponsor Statement [Included in members'                                                                    
packets], which read:                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     HJR  32  seeks to  add  a  new  section to  the  Alaska                                                                    
     Constitution  allowing the  legislature  OR the  people                                                                    
     through the  initiative process, to have  the option to                                                                    
     require notice  to and consent  of the parent  or legal                                                                    
     guardian  of a  minor before  the minor's  pregnancy is                                                                    
     terminated.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     Deciding  whether to  continue a  pregnancy or  have an                                                                    
     abortion is  a decision that will  have major long-term                                                                    
     impacts on the life of  a young woman. Notification and                                                                    
     consent  laws help  pregnant teens  to get  support and                                                                    
     guidance  from their  parents  or guardians.  Currently                                                                    
     parents or guardians must give  consent for their child                                                                    
     to be treated  by a school nurse, buy  cough syrup, get                                                                    
     their ears  pierced, take a  risk assessment  survey in                                                                    
     school, go on  a field trip or watch an  R rated movie.                                                                    
     In Alaska parents cannot even  give consent for a child                                                                    
     under 18  to get  a tattoo. Parents  have the  right to                                                                    
     know about  the activities of their  underage teens and                                                                    
     especially about a  decision as big as  an abortion. As                                                                    
     a parent I would want to know.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
5:18:41 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE LEDOUX paraphrased from the resolution, [Included                                                                
in members' packets], which read:                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Section  1. Article  I, Constitution  of  the State  of                                                                    
     Alaska, is amended by adding a new 5 section to read:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
          Section 26. Notice  and Consent before Termination                                                                    
     of  Minor's  Pregnancy.   This  constitution  does  not                                                                    
     prohibit the  legislature or the people  from requiring                                                                    
     notice  to  and the  consent  of  the parent  or  legal                                                                    
     guardian  of a  minor before  the minor's  pregnancy is                                                                    
     terminated.  The   legislature  shall   implement  this                                                                    
     section  by  law  in  a   manner  consistent  with  the                                                                    
     requirements of the Constitution  of the United States,                                                                    
     and   the  people   may  implement   this  section   by                                                                    
     initiative   in   a    manner   consistent   with   the                                                                    
     requirements of the Constitution of the United States.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Sec.  2.  The  amendment proposed  by  this  resolution                                                                    
     shall be placed  before the voters of the  state at the                                                                    
     next  general election  in conformity  with art.  XIII,                                                                    
     sec. 1,  Constitution of  the State  15 of  Alaska, and                                                                    
     the election laws of the state.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
5:19:54 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced that HJR 32 would be held over.