Arizona Right to Life Condemns Napolitano Vetoes of Abortion Bills

"Today, April 4, 2008, a day where we recall the life and death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Janet Napolitano marked the day by vetoing two bills passed by the Arizona Legislature with the overwhelming support of the people of Arizona. One bill was designed to insure that the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion would not happen in this state and the other was designed to provide additional protection to parents' rights when a minor child seeks an abortion."

So spoke John Jakubczyk. In response to the news that the Arizona Governor had vetoed these two bills.

"Napolitano is an abortion extremist who has vetoed every reasonable effort by the legislature to protect the lives and health of women in Arizona. The Governor's response to this legislation shows that she doesn't even partially care about the partially born children for whom this law was designed to protect. "

Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy had this to say:

"We are appalled that Governor Napolitano today vetoed legislation to enact a state ban on partial-birth abortion. The Governor refuses to prohibit an extreme procedure in which a baby is delivered except for the head and then killed by having scissors stuck into its skull and its brains sucked out. This procedure borders on infanticide.

"Governor Napolitano is showing her radical pro-abortion position and disregard for a position held by a strong majority of Arizonans by vetoing this legislation that had strong bipartisan support in the legislature.

"Also, the Governor vetoed the bill related to parental consent for abortion. The bill would have codified a court opinion that explained what factors a judge should look at in deciding whether a minor was mature enough to make the decision to have an abortion without her parent's permission."

Both measures were passed as a result of the efforts of pro-life citizens who made their views known through thousands of phone calls and emails, as well as through the hard work of pro-life legislators and pro-life groups such as the Arizona Catholic Conference and the Center for Arizona Policy.

Unfortunately, Governor Napolitano has a well-entrenched track record of vetoing pro-life legislation that crosses her desk. The Arizona Partial Birth Abortion Ban was written to mirror the Federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban, which was upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court last year. Arizona Right to Life will continue to monitor the Governor's actions with future pro-life legislation and, in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we will peacefully but powerfully demand that all men, women, and children be granted equal protection and dignity under the law.