Palin attempts end around on legislature on abortion bill

Having failed to pass a similar measure while the state legislature was in session, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) is signing on to a ballot initiative that would ban teenagers from having an abortion without parental consent.

The Anchorage Daily News reports that the ballot initiative would make it illegal for teenagers to have an abortion without the doctor notifying at least one parent first.

From the Daily News:

Palin said she plans to be the first in line to sign [the petition to get the measure on the ballot]. The governor said she even considered sponsoring the initiative herself, but decided otherwise after checking with the state’s lawyers.

“I got a preliminary opinion from Law (Department) just giving me a heads up that critics would certainly file an ethics charge against me if I were to sponsor an initiative. So though I maintain I have First Amendment rights just as any other citizen does, I won’t flirt with the notion of giving critics more ammunition to keep filing wasteful ethics charges against me, but instead I’ll volunteer to be the first signature,” Palin said.

…

The initiative is the result of a bill stalling in the state Senate that would have required girls under 17 to tell their parents they’re about to have an abortion.

Palin, a Republican, blamed “inflexibility by some senators” for the bill not passing. She said a young girl should have the counsel of her parents in such a major decision.

(H/T GOP12)

jeremy.jacobs@digital-stage.thehill.com