State Supreme Court rules Personhood bill unconstitutional
| Updated: 4/30/2012 2:59 pm |
Published: 4/30/2012 2:58 pm
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Supreme Court has ruled that an initiative petition that would grant "personhood" rights to human embryos is unconstitutional.
The state's highest court handed down the decision Monday on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define a fertilized human egg as a person.
The American Civil Liberties Union and the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights filed a protest with the Supreme Court on behalf of several Oklahoma doctors and residents. The protest says the measure would have far-reaching implications that trump the rights of women.
The Supreme Court's decision says the proposal "is clearly unconstitutional," citing a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld the right to an abortion. The court says the petition is void and ordered it stricken.
The ruling by the nine-member court was unanimous.
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4/30/2012 2:47:26 PM (GMT -5:00)
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