At the Michigan Board of State Canvassers meeting Wednesday language for a ballot petition to amend the state constitution was approved. The amendment reads
"A person exists from the moment of conception."
Dawson Bell at the Free Press writes
Without a decision on affirmative action, the abortion issue took center stage at Wednesday's meeting.
Citizens for Life was represented by Cal Zastrow of Bay City, who said the group's petition volunteers plan to begin collecting signatures soon. They need 317,757 signatures from registered Michigan voters to put the issue on the ballot.
Zastrow said the group hopes to form an alliance with the two largest organizations in the state that oppose abortion -- Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Catholic Conference -- both of which have successfully put ballot proposals before state voters.
Ed Rivet, legislative director of Right to Life, said Wednesday the group's ballot language appears to be "overall consistent with the goal of our movement." But he said Zastrow's group has not contacted Right to Life and "time is growing short" to put together a ballot campaign for 2006.
Earlier this week
I diaried about Planned Parenthood's ambivalence to this petition. Bell, in his usual less-than-astute self, downplays the significance.
But Wednesday's endorsement of petition language may have been the least consequential obstacle the group will face in what would be a long, expensive and uncertain process.
Long - yes. Expensive - maybe. Uncertain - no. Not by a long shot.
But I'll give Bell credit for one thing, he gives us enough information to connect the dots by disclosing that Cal Zastrow is involved. Why he couldn't do this himself is --- well --- incompetence, but I digress.
Cal Zastrow is the president of the US Taxpayers Party of Michigan/Constitution Party, on it's National Executive Committee and the national party's Field Director --- i.e. he paid to do this full time. Don't go away, it's just getting good.
Zastrow was one of the first "pro-life-rescuers" to be prosecuted under FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act). He was convicted and served 90 days in jail. He's no stranger to petition drives and their obstacles either. He was a driving force behind getting Wisconsin's residency requirement for petition circulators struck down in 2003.
Remember last October when a group called Missionaries to the Pre Born organized anti-abortion rallies and protests in college towns in Michigan and Wisconsin? You guessed it, Zastrow again. And by the way, note the picture about halfway down the page on the right from their visit to the University of Wisconsin - Parkside in Kenosha. Whether Planned Parenthood likes it, or not, they are in this group's cross hairs.
And now, the double whammie for Michigan's 2006 election --- those alliances Zastrow talks about. Right to Life --- they'll do plenty of damage, but they won't be the Democrats biggest problem. The bigger problem will be the Michigan Catholic Conference. They have every intention of squeezing Jennifer Granholm to the point of breaking her pro-choice position. They pressed hard in '02 and will continue to do so. Now they have Jennifer's record to talk about too. To her credit, she has stood firm to date. Expect a spectacle over ex-communication come next fall.
We're in a battle to retain the right to make medical decisions about our own bodies in the privacy of our doctor's office.
We're also in a battle about how much influence the catholic church, and religion in general, will have on our gubernatorial election.
Stop underestimating this group. It's going to get ugly, and ugly fast, folks.