Supporters of Proposition 85 --- the parental notification initiative for minors seeking abortions --- are gearing up for another grassroots campaign following last year's unsuccessful efforts to pass a similar measure defeated at the polls by a slim margin.

"The political climate is better. Many PNI proponents think their Prop 73 initiative lost last year because of a referendum on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's unpopular reform measures," said Carol Hogan, communications director for the bishops' California Catholic Conference. Proposition 73 failed by a modest margin of 52.6 percent to 47.4 percent, unlike the other four reform measures which were soundly trounced by voters.

With no major campaign funding anticipated beyond the over $2 million spent toward the petition drive --- loaned by San Diego Reader Weekly publisher James Holman who spent over $1.1 million getting Prop 73 on the ballot according to a July 28 article published by The Sacramento Bee --- passage of the initiative rests on the success of grassroots efforts.

Opponents led by Planned Parenthood, which spent more than $4.5 million to defeat Prop 73, have promised another aggressive campaign. State Treasurer Phil Angelides, the Democratic candidate for governor running against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November, opposes the PNI initiative. Gov. Schwarzenegger has taken no public position of Prop 85, but did support Prop 73.

"We're hoping to win with grassroots efforts again since there's no campaign war chest," said Hogan. The CCC will soon be issuing a formal statement in support of Prop 85 and will post downloadable PNI educational materials in English and Spanish on its website by Aug. 15.

Catholic respect life leaders from dioceses around the state and Knights of Columbus pro-life representatives will participate in a CCC-hosted conference call in mid-August to brainstorm ways to educate parishioners about parental notification.

"We've got some really dedicated people, many of them volunteers, who are very excited about this pending phone call," said Hogan.

Supporters seek to present Prop 85 as a parental rights issue, trumping a minor child's privacy rights. Currently, California public schools have the authority to arrange confidential medical services, including abortion, for junior high and high school students without their parents' consent, or knowledge. (California Education Code 46010.1 and California Attorney General opinion Nov. 29, 2004 regarding release of students for confidential medical services.)

Nationwide, according to Michael New, assistant professor at the University of Alabama, over 30 states have a parental involvement law (parental notification or parental consent). In his 2005 study, "Analyzing the Effect of Pro-Life Legislation on the Incidence of Abortion Among Minors," New states that a major factor in the 50 percent reduction of abortions among minors from 1985-1999 was the "positive impact" of pro-life legislation.

If Prop 85 passes, it will prohibit abortion for an unemancipated minor until 48 hours after a physician notifies the pregnant girl's parent or legal guardian, except in a medical emergency or with a parental waiver. The bill requires a minor's consent to an abortion, permitting girls whose consent was coerced to obtain a court order blocking the abortion procedure.

On July 25, the U.S. Senate passed the Child Custody Protection Act making it a federal crime to help girls under age 18 circumvent parental notification laws by crossing state lines for an abortion. A similar bill passed the House in 2005, and President Bush has said he will sign the legislation if the two chambers can agree on wording for a final bill.

Editor's note: Downloadable educational materials on Prop 85 will be available Aug. 15 on the CCC website: www.cacatholic.org. To read the complete text of Michael New's study quoted in the article, log on to www.cacatholic.org/docsppr/AbortionStudy2005.pdf.