In 2005, California voters rejected Proposition 73, which would have required medical providers to notify parents of pregnant teens before offering abortion services.

The proponents of this dangerous constitutional amendment have returned with the nearly-identical Proposition 85, which will be on the ballot in November 2006.

AAUW California opposes this new proposition. To defeat Proposition 73 in 2005, AAUW joined with a broad coalition of community organizations, medical associations, doctors, nurses, counselors, judges, elected representatives, attorneys and parents. This coalition will form again to defeat Proposition 85.

Our organization has long opposed parental notification laws, because we believe that confidential access to reproductive health care is crucial in helping teenagers obtain timely medical advice and safe, appropriate medical care.

Delegates to the April 2006 California AAUW Convention in San Jose overwhelmingly adopted a resolution opposing the abortion ban signed into law in South Dakota in March. The ban is the most restrictive in the nation, and offers no options to women who have been victims of rape or incest.

A coalition of leaders in South Dakota has launched a petition drive to repeal the law. Below is the text of the resolution adopted in April.

WHEREAS the South Dakota legislature passed a new law in March 2006 that would prohibit all abortions, except to save the life of the mother; and

WHEREAS this new law was enacted specifically to force a Supreme Court decision to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision in an attempt to make all abortions in the country illegal; and

WHEREAS this legal maneuver is a direct assault on the right of women to make their own decisions on their reproductive choices; and

WHEREAS anti-choice legislators across the country, in an attempt to force their own beliefs on others, continue to enact laws that restrict or deny women’s access to the full range of reproductive health choices;

THEREFORE be it RESOLVED that AAUW California reaffirms its support of AAUW’s position on women’s reproductive rights, and urges the Association to take all possible steps to work in coalition with Planned Parenthood and other like-minded organizations to defeat South Dakota’s challenge to Roe v. Wade; and

Be it further RESOLVED that AAUW members be urged to support candidates who will pursue and maintain the full range of women’s health rights that allow women to make health choices without governmental interference or obstacle, based on their own beliefs and in consultation with their own medical providers.

The California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom has developed a new framework for reproductive rights emphasizing that "a woman knows best for herself and her family." The materials include a web video and discussion guide. Check it out at http://www.aWomanKnowsBest.org.

These organizations focus on reproductive health issues and legislation that affects a woman's right to choose. AAUW California has no responsibility for content of these sites.

• California Coalition for Reproductive Freedom
• Kaiser Family Foundation
• Planned Parenthood of California
• NARAL Pro Choice America
• NARAL Pro Choice California
• SaveRoe.com
• Find a pharmacy that sells emergency contraception
• Center for Reproductive Rights
• The Power of Choice Project

Since the adoption of a resolution in 1971, choice in the determination of one's reproductive life, including the right to privacy, has been a priority in AAUW's legislative program, both in California and nationally.