Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Oregon Officials Won't Allow Petition On Constitutional Amendment To End Abortion: Thomas More Law Center Sues
ANN ARBOR, MI—The Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, today announced it has filed a lawsuit against the Oregon Secretary of State and the Attorney General, alleging they improperly denied a citizen's request to circulate a state initiative petition that would amend the Oregon Constitution to end abortion in that state. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Kelly Le Claire, with assistance of local counsel, in the Circuit Court for Marion County after state officials refused to approve Le Claire's petition. The proposed human life amendment would extend constitutional rights, including the right to life, to all human beings from the moment of fertilization. If adopted by Oregon voters, the amendment would provide a direct challenge to the central holding of Roe v Wade by establishing personhood from the moment of fertilization as a matter of state constitutional law.
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel for the Law Center, commented, "Frustrated by lack of action to confront Roe head-on at the national level, there is increasing pressure by grassroots, pro-life activists to initiate such action state by state. This initiative petition is one such example. The Thomas More Law Center is committed to supporting such efforts. After 34 years of abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, resulting in over 45 million dead babies, 'wait' is not an option." The lawsuit alleges that by improperly denying her the right to initiate a petition to amend the state constitution, the Secretary of State and the Attorney General violated several state and federal statutory and constitutional rights, including rights protected under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and several provisions of the Oregon Constitution.Robert Muise, the Law Center attorney handling the matter, stated, "Ms. Le Claire, like every other elector in the State of Oregon, has a right to initiate a petition to amend the state's constitution. It appears that her petition was denied because it was a measure that could end abortion. By denying her this fundamental political right, state officials have violated her civil rights protected by the United States and Oregon Constitutions."
In addition to this effort in Oregon, the Thomas More Law Center has been working with pro-life leaders in several other states to get similar state constitutional amendments passed. The proposed amendments would achieve two fundamental purposes that are essential to the pro-life movement: First, they would establish and affirm, without question, that these states are "pro-life" states that protect all human life from the moment of fertilization as a matter of state constitutional law. And second, they would provide a direct challenge to the central holding of Roe v. Wade. As the Supreme Court itself acknowledged in the Roe decision, if the personhood of the fetus could be established, the abortion right "collapses." The national debate on pro-life strategy, including the strategy to initiate state human life amendments, is being featured online on the Human Life Amendment website. To help allow the Law Center's attorneys continue in their efforts to save the unborn, we need your support. Please contribute through your prayers and donations in order to help us succeed in ending this modern day holocaust. Also, please send this email to friends that you believe would be interested in supporting our cause. The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life through education, litigation, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit our website at www.thomasmore.org.
