This Page Currently Only Covers
Amendments THRU 2009.
Why a State Constitutional Amendment over a State Law?
First, have you ever heard
someone fight for their "Legislative Right?" - or was it
their "Constitutional Right?" There is a reason for
that. We are talking about pure raw power!
Only a constitutional amendment can properly protect the
God-given Right to Life of unborn children. Congress
and many legislatures have tried laws but to no success
and even if it could they could just as easily repeal such
laws at any time.
Secondly, any attempt to
end abortion will meet a certain date with destiny in
the Federal Courts and will be struck down if it's not
capable of overturning Roe v. Wade. Only ONE will
survive! Either Roe will prevail or the
Personhood Amendment will. Only a properly worded
State Personhood Amendment
has the pure raw power to accomplish the mission.
A constitutional amendment has much, much more weight
than any law could ever. It is even
considered that weighty by Federal judges and Supreme
Court Justices because it was enacted (voted on) by the
will of the people. It is simply considered the
highest form of political expression and highest form of
protection of people's rights. Establishing
personhood for the unborn can only be realistically done
through a State Personhood
Amendment.
Why a State
Personhood Amendment instead of
a Federal one?
The big issue with state legislatures and
Congress is that they are all very fragmented on Pro-Life.
They cannot even agree on one Pro-Life view so agreeing on
an amendment that would protect all unborn children is
just not likely. There has been hundreds of
Personhood Amendments (aka
Human Life Amendments)introduced into Congress in the past
35 years but they have all gotten nowhere. This is
one of those situations where the People have to take it
into their hands, bypassing state legislatures and
Congress, in order to protect the Right to Life of unborn
children. Only some
states allow a Constitutional Initiative that allow
the People to amend their state constitution. This
method has now become the primary vehicle for change.
Two Ways to add a
State Personhood Amendment.
State Constitutional
Amendments normally are introduced through one's
State Legislature.
In some states a
People's Constitutional Initiative gives the
People the right to add to or alter their constitution by
introducing an amendment. This process normally goes
through a petition phase to gather enough signatures of
voters to put the amendment on a state-wide ballot vote.
Both the legislative route and the People's Initiative
have to be approved by the voters in a state-wide
election, then and only then would an amendment become a
part of the state constitution. The People's
Initiative is a preferred method over state legislatures
because it goes directly to the people at a grassroots
level bypassing an often, very divisive political
landscape within a state legislature. In other
words, it's darn hard to get a state legislature to agree
on anything!
More about
State Constitutional Initiatives.
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ULTIMATE HUMAN LIFE AMENDMENT (2005)
by
Pro-Life Dave, with
the
Pro-Life Generation.
PEOPLE'S
CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE
STATUS:
2009 as Initiative 24, in 2005 as
Initiative 22 and 2007 as
Initiative 23. Failed to gather required petition
signatures.
RESEARCH:
UHLA Drafting Notes & Commentary
Mississippi Constitution |
Last
Updated:
June 1, 2009 |
| We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
persons are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that
among these are the Right to Life, that is, the Right
to not have one’s life taken from them. Therefore, the
government of the state of Mississippi shall recognize
and defend the God-given Right to Life of all persons
equally in accordance with Section 14 of the State
Constitution of 1890. The word "person" shall apply to
all human beings, regardless of race, color, creed,
religion, citizenship, ancestry, national origin, sex,
age, health, function, or condition of dependency, at
all stages of biological development from
fertilization until natural death. No person shall
deprive another person of life by assisting or aiding
in their suicide. No person shall deprive an unborn
person of life; provided, however, that nothing in
this amendment shall prohibit a law allowing
justification to be shown for only those medical
procedures required to prevent the death of either the
pregnant woman or her unborn offspring as long as such
law requires every reasonable effort be made to
preserve the life of each.
No designated funds are required to implement this
amendment. |
Section 14. Due process. - Mississippi
Constitution
"No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or
property except by due process of law." |
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MICHIGAN CITIZENS FOR LIFE
(2006)
by Cal Zastrow,
Michigan Citizens for Life
PEOPLE'S
CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE
STATUS:
Failed to gather required
signatures.
RESEARCH:
Michigan Constitution |
Last
Updated:
June 1, 2009 |
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The right to due process, whereby no person shall be
deprived of life, liberty, or property without due
process of law, guaranteed in Article 1 Section 17,
and the right to equal protection of the law,
guaranteed in Article 1, Section 2, vest at
conception.
A 'person' for the purposes of the Constitution and
laws of the State of Michigan, exists from the moment of
conception." |
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GEORGIA HUMAN LIFE AMENDMENT
(2007)
Introduced by
Georgia
Right to Life,
written by the
Thomas More Law Center.
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT
STATUS:
SEE CURRENT
Georgia
RTL has been building support over the years.
See
www.Personhood.Net |
Last
Updated:
June 1, 2009 |
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The rights of every person shall be recognized, among
which in the first place is the inviolable right of
every innocent human being to life. The right to life
is the paramount and most fundamental right of a
person. With respect to the fundamental and
inalienable rights of all persons guaranteed in this
Constitution, the word 'person' applies to all human
beings, irrespective of age, race, sex, health,
function, or condition of dependency, including unborn
children at every state of their biological
development, including fertilization. |
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COLORADO PERSONHOOD AMENDMENT
(2008)
by
Kristi
Burton,
Campaign Site:
Colorado for Equal Rights
PEOPLE'S
CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE
STATUS:
Gathered Required Petition Signatures, Voted down 3 to
1 by Voters.
RESEARCH:
Colorado Constitution |
Last
Updated:
June 1, 2009 |
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Be it Enacted by the People of the State of Colorado:
SECTION 1. Article II of the constitution of the state
of Colorado is amended BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION to
read:
Section 31. Person defined. As used in sections 3, 6,
and 25 of Article II of the state constitution, the terms
"person" or "persons" shall include any human being from
the moment of fertilization. |
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MONTANA RIGHT TO
LIFE INITIATIVE
(2008)
by
Montana ProLife Coalition.
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT
STATUS:
2009:
click here for more details.
RESEARCH:
Montana Constitution
PEOPLE'S CONSTITUTIONAL
INITIATIVE
STATUS:
2009:
July 2009 UPDATE
MontanaNewsStation.com
Reported on May 21st that Rick
Jore "submitted the paperwork to try again."
2008:
People's Constitutional Initiative #100, Failed to
gather required petition signatures.
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Last
Updated:
July 8, 2009 |
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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."
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OREGON HUMAN LIFE AMENDMENT
(2008)
by
Kelly
LeClaire
PEOPLE'S
CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE
STATUS:
2008:
Filed as #30, Accepted
2007:
Filed as #83, Rejected in Process,
Re-Filed as #117, Rejected in Process
RESEARCH:
Oregon Constitution. |
Last
Updated:
June 1, 2009 |
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Section 46. Right to Life (1) The rights
of all people shall be recognized, among which in the
first place is the inviolable right of every innocent
human being to life. The right to life is the
paramount and most fundamental right of a person.
(2) With respect to the fundamental and
inalienable right to life guaranteed in this section of
the Constitution, the words "people" and "person" apply to
all human beings, irrespective of age, race, gender,
health, function, or condition of dependency, including
their unborn offspring at every stage of their biological
development, including fertilization.
(3) The Legislative Assembly shall enforce,
by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this
section. |
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MARYLAND PERSONHOOD AMENDMENT
(2009)
More info:
MDPersonhood.com
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT
STATUS:
2009:
See Bill Activity & Details |
Last
Updated:
June 1, 2009 |
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THAT THE RIGHT NOT TO BE DEPRIVED OF LIFE IS VESTED IN
ALL HUMAN BEINGS, IRRESPECTIVE OF AGE, HEALTH,
FUNCTION, PHYSICAL DEPENDENCY, OR METHOD OF
REPRODUCTION, FROM THE BEGINNING OF THEIR BIOLOGICAL
DEVELOPMENT. |
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GEORGIA HUMAN LIFE
AMENDMENT
(2009)
LEGISLATIVE AMENDMENT
STATUS:
2009:
Introduced in Georgia House,
HR5 |
Last
Updated:
June 1, 2009 |
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Paramount right to
life. (a) The rights of every person shall be recognized,
among which in the first place is the right of every
innocent human being to life. The right to life is the
paramount and most fundamental right of a person. (b) With
respect to the fundamental and inalienable rights of all
persons guaranteed in this Constitution, the word 'person'
applies to all human beings, irrespective of age, race,
sex, health, function, or condition of dependency,
including unborn children at every state of their
biological development, including fertilization
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MISSISSIPPI PERSONHOOD
AMENDMENT
(2009)
Introduced by Leslie Riley,
Personhood Mississippi.
Written by
Steve Crampton,
Liberty
Counsel.
PEOPLE'S
CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE
STATUS:
2009:
Initiative 26. Gathered Required Signatures.
Voted Down in Nov 2011. |
Last
Updated:
Nov 2011 |
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Section 33. Person
Defined. As used in this Article III of the state
constitution, "The term 'person' or 'persons' shall
include every human being from the moment of
fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent
thereof."
This initiative shall not require any additional revenue
for implementation.
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Article III of the MS
Constitution is the MS Bill of Rights.
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COLORADO PERSONHOOD
AMENDMENT
(2009)
by
Colorado Right to Life and
Personhood Colorado.
PEOPLE'S
CONSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE
STATUS:
Filed
July 2nd.
RESEARCH:
Colorado Constitution, See previous
Colorado 2008. |
Last
Updated:
July 3, 2009
Video Press Release |
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Section 1. Article II of
the constitution of the state of Colorado is amended by
the addition of a new section to read: Section 32. Person
defined. As used in sections 3, 6, and 25 of Article II of
the state constitution, the term "person" shall apply to
every human being from the beginning of the biological
development of that human being.
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Article II of the CO Constitution is the CO Bill
of Rights.
wording source:
9News.com
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