SB 5156 – PARENTAL NOTIFICATION BEFORE A MINOR’S ABORTION IS SCHEDULED FOR A HEARING FEBRUARY 6 AT 1:30 P.M. IN THE SENATE LAWS & JUSTICE COMMITTEE, SENATE HEARING RM 4, IN THE CHERBERG BLDG.

WE NEED YOU THERE TO PACK THE HEARING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL

Parental involvement laws are based on a sound policy judgment: in areas of life, young people need the guidance of their parents in making important decisions; that includes decisions regarding abortion.

To protect a young girl from an abusive parent, or if the girl displays maturity beyond her years, states have enacted laws that allow judges to grant bypass orders, which permit the girl to have an abortion without informing a parent or guardian.

Across the country, polls show citizens favor parental consent laws by a wide margin. Such laws – even with a judicial by-pass option – respect the role parents play in the upbringing of their children.

Parental notification for abortion is about more than parent’s rights and responsibilities. It is about protecting families. The state has a moral obligation to protect families which are the nucleus of society. Families exist prior to any state. But Washington State is one of only a handful of states that has no parental involvement laws on the books regarding abortion. None.