State’s constitutional hurdles leave parental consent issue in limbo

Pro-choice advocates are skeptical that recent moves by state lawmakers will be successful in changing the Alaska Constitution to require parental consent for underage teenagers seeking abortions. Rep. John Coghill, R-North Pole, who is backing the amendment along with 10 other lawmakers, said it would be more difficult than passing a law, so he is also exploring a bill that would rework the language of the law in a way that would satisfy the court’s concerns.”The benefit to that is that you could do it by a majority vote. (A constitutional amendment requires) a much higher bar to pass,” Coghill said. “I’d like to see it overturned, but there may be a way that I could work with their ruling and still have parents involved in that decision,” he said.

The state Supreme Court issued a 3-2 decision in November that ended a 10-year battle over the Parental Consent Act passed by the Legislature in 1997. The move was condemned by Republican Gov. Sarah Palin, who asked for a rehearing.

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