Californians Again Put Teen Health and Safety First
The November defeat of Proposition 85 through our “Campaign for Teen Safety” was not only the second time this initiative was rejected by California voters, it was a monumental achievement of teamwork, dedication and mobilizing a broad coalition to spread the word.
Proposition 85 would have amended the state constitution to require parental notification of abortion for pregnant teens — a move that would have put girls in violent or abusive homes at risk of further injury. A nearly identical version of this initiative was attempted, and defeated, in 2005. This fight was no less difficult. But once again, the electorate saw through the misinformation and decided to vote in support of teen health and safety.
“Californians voted to protect all our daughters, not just those who live in safe homes with loving parents,” said ACLU/SC Chief Executive Officer Ramona Ripston. “Laws don’t mandate good family communication.”
L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa joined the state’s top medical groups, Planned Parenthood and the ACLU/SC in opposing Proposition 85. ACLU/SC members held dozens of house parties to educate voters about the proposition, knocked on voters’ doors, and raised money to support No on 85 ads and direct voter-to-voter contact.
“No law can force good communication in our families,” Villaraigosa said in a special advertisement in the Spanish-language newspaper La Opinión, created for the campaign.
ACLU/SC field and policy associates Clarissa Woo and Elvia Meza played critical roles in defeating Proposition 85, serving in leadership roles for the coalition’s Southern California operations.
DECEMBER 2006
Fighting Cruelties Against L.A.'s Homeless
Californians Again Put Teen Health and Safety First
Upholding the Rule of Law for Immigrants in Illegal Detention
Judge Orders L.A. County to Fix Jail Intake Center Overcrowding
ACLU/SC Deplores Latest Incidents of Police Brutality
O.C. Sheriff's Revised Plan Still Wrong Approach for Community Safety
