Montana
2011
The Montana Prolife Coalition, led by Dr. Annie Bukacek, has received approval from the Secretary of State for gathering signatures for the following initiative:
Section 1. Article II section 17 of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:
Section 17. Due process of law. (1) No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
(2) As used in this section, the
word "person" applies to all human beings, irrespective of age,
health, function, physical or mental dependency or method of reproduction, from
the beginning of the biological development of that human being.
(3) The legislature shall
implement this section by appropriate legislation.
The Montana Prolife Coalition is currently challenging the Statement of Purpose added by the Attorney General.
Representative Wendy Warburton introduced HB 490 which would put on the ballot the following proposal:
Section 1. Article II, section 17, of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:
Section 17. Due process of law. (1) No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
(2) As used in this section, the word
"person" applies to all members of the species Homo sapiens at any
stage of development, including the stage of fertilization or conception,
regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of dependency.
(3) The legislature shall implement this section by appropriate legislation.
HB 490 died in the Judiciary committee.
2010
The Montana Prolife Coalition, led by Dr. Annie Bukacek, gathered 53,000 signatures but fell short of getting the following initiative (CI-102) on the ballot:
Section 1. Article II section 17 of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:
Section 17. Due process of law. (1) No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.
(2) As used in this section, the
word "person" applies to all human beings, irrespective of age,
health, function, physical or mental dependency or method of reproduction, from
the beginning of the biological development of that human being.
(3) The legislature shall
implement this section by appropriate legislation.
2008
Life for Montana, led by Legislator Rick Jore, gathered 32,000 signatures but fell short of getting the following initiative (CI-100) on the ballot:
Section 1. Article II, section 3, of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:
Section 3. Inalienable Right
to life and inalienable rights. (1) Every person has a paramount
and fundamental right to life.
(2) All persons are born created
free and have certain inalienable rights from the moment of conception.
They include the right to a clean and healthful environment and the rights of
pursuing life's basic necessities, enjoying and defending their lives and
liberties, acquiring, possessing and protecting property, and seeking their safety,
health and happiness in all lawful ways. In enjoying these rights, all persons
recognize corresponding responsibilities.
(3) As used in this article,
"person" includes a human being at all stages of human development or
life, including the state of fertilization, regardless of age, health, level of
functioning, or condition of dependency.
(4) Subsections (1) and (3) and
the language regarding the moment of conception in subsection (2) must be
implemented by legislation.
2007
Legislator Rick Jore introduced HB 403 which would put on the ballot the following proposal:
Section 1. Article II, section 3, of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:
Section 3. Inalienable Right
to life and inalienable rights. (1) Every person has a paramount
and fundamental right to life.
(2) All persons are born created free and have certain
inalienable rights from the moment of conception. They include the right
to a clean and healthful environment and the rights of pursuing life's basic
necessities, enjoying and defending their lives and liberties, acquiring,
possessing and protecting property, and seeking their safety, health and
happiness in all lawful ways. In enjoying these rights, all persons recognize
corresponding responsibilities.
(3) As used in this article, "person" includes a human
being at all stages of human development or life, including the state of
fertilization, regardless of age, health, level of functioning, or condition of
dependency.
(4) Subsections (1) and (3) and the
language regarding the moment of conception in subsection (2) must be
implemented by legislation.
(5) NOTHING IN THIS SECTION PROHIBITS OR OTHERWISE AFFECTS A SENTENCE OF DEATH IMPOSED BY THE STATE AS A PENALTY FOR CRIMINAL CONDUCT.
You can help with Personhood efforts in your state by doing the following 3 things.
The Petition
Dear Montana Lawmaker:
Every year that goes by, over one million children in the womb are brutally murdered through abortion.
The key to unraveling this tragedy is a simple one and it has been known since before Roe v. Wade. It is Personhood.
During oral argument of Roe, Chief Justice Warren Burger explained to pro-abortion attorney Sarah Weddington that by declaring "by statute that a fetus is a person for all constitutional purposes” a state could outlaw abortion.
By stripping personhood from the unborn, their right to life was revoked. By returning personhood to the weak and the powerless, we can restore their dignity and right to life as human beings. It really is that simple.
African slaves were denied their personhood and were therefore treated as property, bought, sold, and bred as animals. Jews were not considered full persons, so their property could be confiscated and their people eliminated. When Spanish conquistadors colonized America, many wealthy landowners fought to convince the Spanish crown that non-Christian “indians” were not legal persons and could therefore be enslaved.
Personhood is the key to all human rights.
That is why at the heart of the Roe v. Wade opinion is the following heartless pronouncement, written by Justice Blackmun, “the word ‘person’ ... does not include the unborn.”
Not once, since 1973, has the Supreme Court been challenged to reconsider Blackmun’s terrible words. With federal and judicial tyranny at its apex, we the undersigned request that our Montana legislators stand up for life in a bold and principled way.
We, the undersigned urge you to support a personhood measure that recognizes that the preborn child is a person with the unalienable right to life. We, the undersigned expect you to stand up for the values of the people of Montana by no longer cowering to a federal and judicial tyranny that mandates the destruction of our morals, our families, and our posterity. We, the undersigned will hold you accountable for your action or inaction in bringing about and supporting a personhood measure, and we will vote accordingly.
Share the Petition by using the social networks below or by downloading the printable petition and circulating it.
