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Wisconsin Personhood Amendment (2014)
| Not on Ballot |
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| This measure was not put on an election ballot |
The Wisconsin Personhood Amendment was not on the November 4, 2014 ballot in Wisconsin as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The measure was not voted on during two consecutive legislative sessions and thereby was not on the ballot in November 2014.
The proposed measure would have established a "right to life" in the state constitution and defined a fetus as a person. Specifically, the proposal would have amended Section 1 of Article I of the Wisconsin Constitution.[1] It would have removed the word "born" from the phrase "all people are born free and independent."[2]
The proposal was written by Rep. André Jacque.[1]
Support
Arguments
- State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt argued that the measure is keeping consistent with one of the main roles of government, "which is to protect those who can't protect themselves."[3]
Opposition
Arguments
- The group Wisconsin Right to Life stated that a ballot measure would cost the state millions of dollars. The group also argued that if the measure was to be passed, a lawsuit would follow, which would probably overturn the measure.[3]
- State Representative Chris Taylor pointed out that the proposal could be costly to jobs in the state. Taylor argued that the impacts of the measure would negatively affect bio-medical and embryonic stem cell research.[3]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Wisconsin Constitution
A majority vote in two consecutive sessions of the Wisconsin Legislature was required to qualify the amendment for the ballot. The measure did not receive a majority vote in two consecutive sessions and thereby will not be on the ballot in November 2014.
See also
External links
- LRB 2859-1 Proposed measure text
- Personhood Wisconsin (support)
- Wisconsin Right to Life (opposition)
Additional reading
- The Daily Cardinal, "Personhood amendment would change definition of ‘human life’," November 28, 2011
- Greenfield Patch, "Pro-Life Groups Launch New Push for 'Personhood' Amendment," July 14, 2013
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Daily Page, "Wisconsin constitutional amendment to effectively ban abortion to be proposed," October 21, 2011
- ↑ The Daily Cardinal, "Personhood amendment would change definition of ‘human life'," November 28, 2011
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lacrosse Tribune, "Personhood amendment proposed in Wisconsin," November 23, 2011
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