Bill aims to deny privacy arguments for abortion

HELENA -State lawmakers heard lengthy and emotional testimony today on a bill that would have Montanans vote on a constitutional amendment that could pave the way for an eventual ban on abortion.

Senate Bill 46, sponsored by Sen. Dan McGee, R-Laurel, would ask voters to amend Montana's constitutional provision for the right to privacy, which currently says the right "shall not be infringed without a showing of compelling state interest.”

McGee's bill would add one sentence, saying, "The protection of unborn human life is a compelling state interest."

While his bill isn't a direct ban on abortion, it does strike at the legal underpinnings of state Supreme Court rulings that upheld abortions based on a woman's right to privacy.

The hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee lasted for nearly three and a half hours, with both sides raising a litany of familiar arguments. Supporters of the bill said unborn fetuses have the right to live. Speakers in opposition worried about the amendment's potential effects on medical procedures for all pregnant women, not just those seeking abortion.

To make the ballot, the measure would need the votes of 100 of the Legislature's 150 members.

-by CNS correspondent Molly Priddy