Mississippi

Maine: Renewable Energy Referendum Pushed Back Year

January 31, 2012

A coalition that’s pushing for a referendum to set a state minimum for renewable energy in Maine fell short of the voters’ signatures needed by Monday’s deadline to force a November vote. While Maine Citizens for Clean Energy missed the deadline to file the petitions with state election officials, the group promised to continue to…

Read more »

Oklahoma: Lawmakers Look to Send Various Issues to Public Vote

January 17, 2012

A ballot measure that would criminalize abortion by granting “personhood” status to a human embryo is one of nearly a dozen proposals that Oklahoma lawmakers want to send to voters in November. The personhood amendment is similar to a proposal that was rejected by Mississippi voters last year, but the author of the Oklahoma proposal,…

Read more »

Florida: Family Research Council Gets Behind Personhood Amendment

January 11, 2012

Personhood Florida received a major endorsement this week from the Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins. The announcement is significant for the Florida affiliate of Personhood USA, which wants to place a “fetal personhood” amendment on the Sunshine State’s 2014 ballot. Personhood measures, which would define life as beginning at the moment of conception, have cropped up…

Read more »

Ohio: Personhood initiative could come to state

December 2, 2011

Anti-abortion activists, undaunted by a defeat last month in Mississippi, are pushing to get a “personhood” amendment on next year’s ballot. The effort, while still in the preliminary stages, has in-vitro fertilization doctors and abortion-rights groups digging in for a fight. Read the story from The Plain Dealer

Read more »

Colorado: Personhood measure could end up on state ballot

November 28, 2011

Fresh off a thumping at the polls in Mississippi, supporters of a constitutional amendment that would legally define a fertilized egg as a person are back for a third try with Colorado voters. On Monday, Arvada-based Personhood USA unveiled a measure that’s been substantially rewritten from ballot initiatives Colorado voters shot down by wide margins…

Read more »

Mississippi: Life at conception measure rejected at polls

November 9, 2011

Mississippi voters Tuesday defeated a ballot initiative that would’ve declared life begins at conception, a proposal that supporters sought in the Bible Belt state as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide. The so-called “personhood” initiative was rejected by more than 55 percent of voters, falling far short of the threshold…

Read more »

Mississippi: Voters take on Voter ID issue at polls next week

October 31, 2011

Mississippi voters will wade through many other offices and questions in the Nov. 8 general election before they reach constitutional initiative No. 27, which asks them whether the state should require voters to show a government-issued photo to prove their identity. A bit of irony comes into play here: some voters who say yes to…

Read more »

Mississippi: Voters to weigh in on Voter ID and Life issues

October 25, 2011

Voters will decide the fate of three proposed amendments to Mississippi’s constitution in just over two weeks in the General Election. We’ve learned it won’t be as simple as which side gets the most votes. Each needs 40 percent of all votes cast to become law. Initiative 26 is the so-called personhood proposal. It defines…

Read more »

Granting personhood to fetuses will be on Mississippi ballot

September 13, 2011

The Mississippi Supreme Court on Thursday cleared the way for an amendment to the state constitution granting “personhood” to fetuses to go to voters in November though the court did not render a position on the measure’s constitutionality, should it pass. “Our law provides that this court cannot interfere with the legislative act of the people, just as this…

Read more »

Mississippi: Initiatives will get public hearings

July 7, 2011

By the time Mississippians are scheduled to vote on three ballot initiatives in the Nov. 8 general election, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann is hoping they are well informed about them. That’s the goal behind a series of public hearings Hosemann’s office will be conducting this month, starting Thursday, on eminent domain, abortion or the…

Read more »