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Wyoming Initiative 1, Abortion Ban Measure (1994)
| Wyoming Initiative 1 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 1994 | |
| Topic Abortion | |
Status Defeated | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
Wyoming Initiative 1 was on the ballot as an initiated state statute in Wyoming on November 8, 1994. It was defeated.[1]
A "yes" vote supported this law to prohibit abortion except in the cases of rape, incest, and threat to the mother's life. |
A "no" vote opposed this law to prohibit abortion except in the cases of rape, incest, and threat to the mother's life. |
Election results
|
Wyoming Initiative 1 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 78,978 | 39.94% | ||
|
|
118,760 | 60.06% | ||
Measure design
- See also: Text of measure
The initiative was designed to prohibit abortion except in the cases of rape, incest, and threat to the mother's life. It would have penalized physicians or other persons performing an abortion, not the mother, for violating the law. It would have required that the sexual assault or incest be reported to law enforcement before the abortion. The initiative also would have defined an unborn child as "an individual organism of the species homo sapiens from conception until birth."[2]
It was referred to as the "Human Life Protection Act" by supporters.[2]
Text of measure
Ballot title
The ballot title for Initiative 1 was as follows:
| “ | This bill would prohibit any person from intentionally performing an abortion upon a pregnant woman unless her attending physician reasonably determines that the pregnancy endangers the mother's life, or the pregnancy is the result of a sexual assault or incest reported to a law enforcement agency before the abortion. Pregnancy is defined as beginning with conception. A physician or other person performing an abortion under any circumstances would be subject to the existing felony penalty for illegal abortions. The woman procuring the abortion would not be subject to prosecution. | ” |
Support
Supporters
Organizations
Arguments
Opposition
Arguments
Path to the ballot
The signature requirement in Wyoming is based on the number of votes cast in the state's most recent general election – held every two years. Initiated state statutes and veto referendums require signatures equal to 15 percent of the total ballots cast in the previous general election.
The principal sponsor of the initiative was Richard Grout of Bar Nunn, Wyoming. He filed the initiative on August 8, 1991. On December 8, 1992, the secretary of state announced that the initiative campaign had submitted at least 24,646 valid signatures, the minimum number of required signatures.[1]
See also
Footnotes
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State of Wyoming Cheyenne (capital) |
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